Sacrifice of the Heart
by Draguna Doragon
Summary: the only way to secure the safety of the human race, is to allow the betrothal of two fiery human princesses to two prideful, dark Yautja princes. but...they kinda clash...as in...fight...hate...resent...and of course...fall in love! but it's a bumpy ride
1. Chapter 1

Draguna Doragon here. I have a bit of a writers block, so I'm going to get rid of it by writing another Yautja fanfic, in hoping to get ideas for the other fics I have. Also, I quite like the idea behind this one, and intend to keep this own going too. It's a romance, of course, and involved our favourite predators out there, the Yautja!

Right, hope you like it! Now, on with the fic!

"Princess! Princess! Stop right this second!!"

"No way!"

"Catch us if you can!" A young girl squealed with mirth, and another one just beamed after the other. Their Nanny however, couldn't find anything remotely amusing about chasing a young 5 year old and 6 year old around the largest palace in the 4th civil galaxies. Especially, on the one day the young princesses really, REALLY needed to be on their best behaviour.

And skidding down the marble halls was not her idea of being on one's best behaviour.

"Princess Rosemary Rosalyn Requinas! Princess Riona Rosabella Requinas!" She bellowed just as they came to the head of the staircase, shining, polished and made of the finest cream white marble and gold. "Come here this instant!"

"WEEEEEE!" They both yelled with joy.

"NO!" The royal Nanny ran forward, arms outstretched for the young mistresses, but was alas, too late. Her young charges had jumped onto the arm of the glorious staircase, gotten her balance, and pushed themselves down it like a rollercoaster. The Nanny grabbed onto the banister, and watched in horror as the blur of chestnut brow, auburn, and white lace _whizzed_ towards the welcoming hall.

oo0oo

It is finally time.

For hundreds of years, _they_ have hunted us, like common pray, vermin. But recently, for the last decade anyway, they have seen our universal pacifism and pro-peace societies expand over the 4 kingdoms, the 4 galaxies…and they have stopped.

Whether they see us now as potential equals, or they are just bored of hunting defenceless pray now, this is _still_ our perfect opportunity.

If I can breach the cultural and racial gap, open the door and form a bridge of friendship strong enough, an alliance may form…

…and it may be the greatest achievement for the monarchy _and_ mankind, _ever_.

A Human-Yautja treaty would secure our safety and advancements in technology for _millennia_ to come.

Think of it, the knowledge we could share, the cultural exchange, all the benefits…

It all rests on me…the King of all Men.

oo0oo

King Henry Requinas had been psyching himself up all week, for this moment.

He ran a shaking hand back through his dark blonde hair, waiting outside the main doors for the arrival of Jade Palace's 'special guest'.

And at last, 'he' arrived.

The royal guards parted, the trumpets and bugles sang, and the tension rose. You see, this isn't just _any_ guest, but the King of all Yautja.

King Requinas' Yautja counterpart.

"Give me the word your highness, and our men will 'remove' him."

"That will not be necessary Chief. We are meeting on peaceful terms."

"Better safe than dead, sir." King Requinas only let his eyes stray to his left once, before looking squarely ahead again.

"I thought the saying was 'better safe than sorry'?"

And he saw him, the king, in all his mighty prowess. Walking down that ramp, coming from a _still_ unseen ship in the sky, his head high, was the Yautja King. It was a stirring sight.

"Exactly, my lord. You don't get much more sorry, than dead." Requinas suppressed the need to whimper, as the intimidating 9 foot, fully armed and armoured in brilliantly polished gold and bronze plating, matched only in foreign finesse, but his billowing, shimmering silver white cloak. Yet as elegant as his attire was, as well as fierce beneath the outer layer, he wore a deep bronze mask with blue screens over his eyes, gold framing from his chin, up his faw line, and meeting again at the crown of his mask, over his hairline.

And four thick, golden wisps, feather like, etched each of his fathomless eyes.

Waist long, midnight black dread locks swayed behind him as he walked. The wind kicked up by his own ship chilled the air, and put the sway in his imperial blue cloak and gold bolted dread locks.

And he was getting ever closer, as the second sun caught on the golden rings in his hair, reflecting the light like an ambiance of omnipotence.

Requinas, as his heart beat quickened rapidly, could almost feel the warrior's aura of wisdom and cunning strength prickling the hairs on the back of his neck.

Yes, he could defiantly understand now the horror these creatures could invoke within their pray, with nothing by their sheer presence. Because he felt it right now.

_Remember Henry, they respect courage, and detest fear._

Easier said than done.

Henry allowed himself one last deep breath, and bowed at the very moment the foreboding king stopped before him, on the top step to the palace.

_No going back now. _

"Welcome your highness, to my home." For good measure, Henry bowed yet again, only to see a very sharp, very brutal looking round metal cutting disc clasped to the Yautja king's belt, with an agile circular blade round the outer circumference, and 5 large finger holes within it.

Henry stood up again very quickly, his hands trembling behind his back and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

Obviously the man beside him, the chief of palace security, saw the weapon partially concealed within the silver white cloak. He raised his plasma gun to the Yautja's King's head sternly.

"Excuse me, sire, but no weapons pass this point. You will have to relinquish any and all weapons here." The Chief repeated as if on autopilot, but his eyes held something dark.

Hatred?

The Yautja King cocked his head to one side, and clicked curiously at him.

Then, before King Henry could even _hope_ to intervene, the Yautja had the Chief dangling in the air level with _his_ 9 feet, by the hand he used to hold the plasma gun at the Warrior. The Chief's eyes were wide, and the Yautja King was clicking and growling something frightful, in Requinas' view.

Then, just like that, the Chief was dumped on his ass on the floor, to scramble to safety, leaving the two Kings to stand together.

Henry watched as his alien counterpart pressed a sequence of buttons on his ornate wrist guard, and froze as 'he' looked sharply at the Chief, who had _barely_ gotten back to his feet.

"Do you intend to _take_ them from me, Ooman?"

The voice was deep, accompanied by clicking, and crackling in places.

But it was English.

As Henry assessed the situation he saw the Chief make a nod to the pillars behind them, and quickly stood up to the universally nicknamed 'Predator'.

"This is a place of peace, not violence. I will have _no_ weapons fired or blood spilled. My _daughters_ are inside, remember that before you do anything rash, I beg of you." Henry was stern, and showed his authority perfectly. "Remember why we are here. Or I shall remind you."

His men backed down, and the Yautja King before him regarded him for a moment, before bowing respectfully.

"Yes, your highness." The Chief of security then made a nervous step forward. "B But the weapons, sire?"

"His majesty is a guest." He stated firmly. "And as such, has my complete trust and full hospitality in my home and land." Henry put on a brave smile, glad that was settled, and opened the doors to the welcoming hall. "Welcome to Jade Palace, my home, your highness. Know that you may stay here as long or as little as you wish."

"I assure you, Ooman." He glared around the surroundings once, and stepped inside. "That will not be long."

_Back inside the palace. _

"The Jade Palace has been in our family for years. My late wife and Queen of the 4 kingdoms has recently passed away this year, so I fear there is no one else for me to introduce to you in the royal family." He smiled, but jerked to a stop when the Yautja King, who's name he _still_ didn't know, stopped dead in front of him. he craned his mighty head over his shoulder as he turned, and caught him in those blue eyes on his mask.

"Did you not say you had pups?"

"…pups?" he blinked twice, and then nodded with comprehension. "Ah, yes, you mean my daughters? Ah, yes. I have been graced with two darling daughters, that I have."

"…well?" Henry blinked at him, and narrowed his eyes with confusion. "Where are you pups?"

"They are with the Nanny. Did you wish to meet them?" His voice elevated a little _too_ much.

Who would want their daughters to be greeted by such a…a…

Afraid his guest would get the wrong impression, hoping he already hadn't, Henry decided to explain. "You see, they are quite young. The eldest is but 6, the youngest 5. I am sure you wouldn't-"

"WEEEEE!"

"NO!"

"…oh no…"

Henry stared in horror, as his two most precious treasures in his kingdom, came whizzing down the grand staircase marble railings, at a rate that was so fast…that… "No!" Henry started forward, but was stunned in a swirl of silver white, and bronzed gold.

It was hard to believe, that such a large, heavily armoured creature, could move so swiftly, so elegantly, with such grace…

The Yautja King in a heart beat, was in the air, meeting the two royal daughters in mid turn, cradled them close to his chest, and landed softly. "Rosemary! Riona! Are you-"

"They are well." The Yautja king stood at his full 9 feet, one royal lacy white dress wearing daughter, spooned to his chest in each arm. "Are you not, pups?"

"Pups?" The Predator looked to the young girl in his left arm. She was probably the eldest, with long curly chestnut brown hair, the adorable ringlets bouncing with the movement of her head, as she cocked it to one side. Her big, innocent, naively brave, emerald eyes gazed up at him with awe, and curiosity.

"Yes, pups." He clattered, and bowed his head to her.

"I'm not a dog." she pouted cutely, in his view, and her father became very flustered.

The Yautja king had just bowed his head to his daughter, and she hadn't returned the gesture.

"Rosemary, b-"

"Is that your name? Rosemary?"

"Yes sir!" She giggled brightly, and became suddenly animated. "_I'm_ Princess Rosemary Rosalyn Requinas." She said in one breath, and giggled. "But I like being called Rose, sir."

"Rose, that is much more humbling than Princess Rosemary, don't you think?" Henry felt quite faint. His two daughters were in the arms of a creature who up until recently, hunted and killed their kind.

And this _particular_ Predator probably went on a lot more 'hunts' than the regular kind.

And he was holding his daughters.

"Well…I like it! It doesn't matter what it is, if I like it, I like it." She giggled again, and beamed up at him. "So please call me Rose, sir."

"And call me Riona!" He turned his head to the sudden addition to the conversation. The _other _young girl he had caught.

She had a short bob of auburn hair, the same bright emerald eyes, but with a little bit more…fear?

No, not fear. Shyness, maybe. She was still smiling up at him, and quite happily curled up in his arms with her sister.

"Riona?"

"_Her_ name is Princess Riona Rosabella Requinas." Rose repeated. "Nanny taught us our full names. She is always yelling them."

"That's probably because you give her just cause to, with your constant shenanigans." Henry chuckled despite himself.

"Adventurous pups, are you?"

"We just like to have fun!" Riona giggled.

"And run around!"

"And play."

"And laugh."

"And draw."

"And sing and dance."

"I like dancing!"

"And me, me too!"

"And scraping!" Riona giggled with her arms flung out enthusiastically, only to cover her mouth with them quickly.

"Princess Riona Rosabella Requinas!" Henry chided.

"See, that's _just_ how Nanny says it." Rose said, and their savvier trilled a laugh.

"You have lively pups. And they like to fight?"

"Scrap, your highness. They mean not what they say. Nor know _whom_ they are saying it too." Henry gave them a warning glance.

But come on. Two little girls? Taking any notice of their push over father? When this strange man holding them seemed to like their behaviour?

Yeah…right.

"Nanny says that it's unladylike to scrap. But the boys from the 3rd kingdom scrap, _all_ the time!" Rose stated matter-of-factly. Riona nodded her head and pointed at her sister.

"But _you_ always tell Nanny to make them stop."

"That's because you end up fighting them and they keep hurting you!" Rose pointed right back.

"Nooooeerrr. Do not! I beat _them_ up just as much!"

"But Papa says it's bad for us to fight."

"But they start it! They push me…"

"And you pushed them back, yes?" Both girls looked up at the royal Yautja, who was still quite content to hold them. "And you punished them for the insolence, yes?"

"She broke their nose." Rose blinked, and added. "And I kicked their ass."

"Rosemary! That is _enough_!" Henry sounded outraged, and was about to apologise, when the guest of honour laughed so loud, it echoed throughout the halls.

"Good! Good." He then looked to Rose. "You defended your sister." Then to Riona. "And you stood up for your honour." And finally, at last, to the worrying father. "I am pleased with your pups, Ooman. You can always tell what kind of a warrior you are dealing, by the way their pups are being raised." He looked back to them. "And they are very interesting indeed…5 and 6?"

"Yes, you highness." Henry relaxed. It seemed this event had bought him some credit with the guest. That would be good, for talking peace.

"Interesting. Two of my pups are close to that age. Boys, mind you." He then returned to looking at the girls, and noticed that Riona was reaching up at him.

Henry sweatdropped, and Rose watched her sister.

"Is that your face sir?"

"No, it's a mask."

"Can you take it off?" Rose also reached up.

"Well…"

"No he can't!" Henry remembered _specifically_ being told _never_ to ask _any_ Yautja to remove _any_ of his armour, _especially_ his mask.

"Actually." The mighty warrior king clattered. "I think I will. for your pups seem to demand it. I see their desire in their jade eyes." He lowered his head, and allowed their delicate little hands to grab onto the edges of it. "If you pull, it shall come off. But do not drop it now, alright?"

"Yay!" He chuckled at them, and slowly, they removed his mask with a soft popping hiss.

Henry stood there, gawking and fear stricken, as he stared into the face of the King of all Yautja.

His face was cream in skin colour, mottled around the outline of his featured with dark brown high on his forehead and hair line, his neck also dark brown.

His fathomless eyes were just as fathomless as before, but deep amber.

Those thick midnight black dreadlocks _were_ real, with golden rings and bolts in them.

And his mouth…had four mandibles tipped with pure white ivory tusks.

The upper two were smaller than the lower two, and moved with his expressions and voice.

Henry even took a weary step back, until he remembered that his children were still in his arms.

_Rose is a brave girl, but not in this kind of situation. And Riona? Poor girl…_

But to his surprise, Riona giggled.

"You're face is funny." _Oh dear god no…_ Henry panicked, and prepared to apologise. But it didn't stop. "Where is your mouth?"

"It's there, see?" Rose knelt up and took the liberty of pointing her finger right between his lower mandibles. "Back there. Oh, and it's pink, like ours, see?"

"Ooooo." Riona also knelt up, and blatantly stare at his mouth. "I see, I see Rose."

"Told ya so." She giggled, and looked into his eyes. "You're eyes are very pretty, sir."

"Very pretty! Like jewels Momma used to wear." Riona giggled, and her father felt _very_ faint now.

"Your highness, I am so sorry. I think I will take them n-"

"Thank you, that is very…flattering." He clattered, and the girls giggled. "I have never been referred to as…'pretty'. Let's keep this between us, and not let the rest of my clan hear of this, hmm? I know my own pups would poke fun at me if they knew of this." He clattered, and bounced them in his arms. They both giggled happily, and Rose piped up again.

"What's your name sir?"

Henry listened carefully, hoping his daughters could gain him something else this evening.

"High Arbitrator Hult'ah of the Kwei Clan." He paused. "Or what you would call a king of…just assume I am a King for now. you are both young and it is too difficult to explain my rank to you." He clattered softly at them, and faced their father fully. "I will speak truth to you. My intentions of coming here were to dissolve any hopes you had to making any sort of connection between our peoples at any time. There is no law, rule, cultural similarity or attribute they we are willing to use, gain, share, or manipulate in order to have a one sided advantages alliance between Yautja and Ooman kind. As we have _nothing_ to profit from this union…"

Henry stood, verbally smacked in the face, as the stern Hult'ah still cradled his suddenly silent daughters, and stared him down with his sharp amber eyes.

_What about those eyes are pretty?_ He thought distantly, but gulped, still trembling from the intimidating prowess of this 'man'.

But then Hult'ah softened his gave, upon the royal daughters. "…union…is that not what you wanted? I union?"

"Yes, yes it is. To procure at least a permanent agreement that our peoples will be at _peace_ for-"

"I can not promise that without having something given in return." Henry gulped. "Ooman. I have an ultimatum for you. Are you ready to receive it, as I will not repeat it."

"Y yes, your highness." Henry stuttered, and prepared to engrave his alien counterpart's words to the back of his skull.

"Our people have nothing to gain from you. Nothing. And it is on these grounds, that we can not justify any sort of 'agreement', as you put it. It would be dishonourable to interfere with creatures lesser than us in the evolutionary chain, on many links. Do you understand me Ooman? To _give_ you something, you must _give_ me something in return. You have no technologies we could benefit from, no land we could want, no materials we could desire or even the worth of hunting anymore. Your species have become such a Pauking weakling race of Dt huggers, it is dishonourable to hunt you. _Hunting_ you has become impossible. You have nothing, _nothing_ you can offer us. And so, that makes an 'agreement' impossible. Unless…there _is_ a union." Henry furrowed his dark blonde brows, and folded his arms over his imperial green robes.

"Your highness just said that there can be no agreement between our peoples unless there is a union between our peoples. But…isn't that the same thing?"

"No, it is not. And there must be _two_ unions."

"I don't understand."

"Then I shall explain." Hult'ah bounced his daughters up into the air, and caught them both, one in each hand. They giggled, perfectly entertained for the time being, and Hult'ah continued as seriously as before. "Between clans of our own race, the rules still apply as to if _we_ were to have an 'agreement'. Each party must sacrifice something precious or unique to the other, to form the bond of loyalty and friendship. Or in this case, and 'agreement'. I shall assume, this agreement to be that the Yautja as a collective, promise never to hunt your kind ever again. Am I correct?"

"Yes, you highness." Henry stepped forward, watching both his daughters being bounced in the colossal hands of 'King' Hult'ah.

"Then that is what you must do. To officially label Oomans as 'off limits' is a great inconvenience to us, and will be fought against within the clans of my race. Also, it limits our hunting grounds and claim over certain planets, and narrows down the amount of hunting my people may do in certain quarters of space. _Very_ precious to us. And so, to do this." He then brought Riona and Rosemary back to his chest, and blatantly looked at them in turn as he spoke. "You must surrender something most precious and unique to you. In a _Union_. _Two _Unions."

It took him a few moments to comprehend everything being said, and everything Hult'ah actually meant…but…

It was a little obvious, when Hult'ah obviously brushed his mighty mandibles over Rosemary's forehead, making her giggle, and then repeating it once more with Riona, who blushed and smiled.

"Y…you want…"

"I mentioned before that I have two male pups close to their ages. Did I not?" Hult'ah lowered down to the ground, and steadied both of the girls to their white buckle shoed feet. "Run along pups. Enjoy your childhood, be honourable, and become as strong and as open heart and minded as you are now. Live with honour and pride." He placed a large hand on each of their heads, and bowed his head.

They both curtseyed, and skipped off towards the stairs, and their fainted Nanny.

That'll teach her to eavesdrop.

"But…my girls…."

"My boys names are Daijuta, the youngest, and Raijuta, the eldest. Daijuta is bold, and would benefit for a more conservative and gentler mate, like Riona. And Raijuta is…well…difficult. We shall have to see how that goes."

"But, but."

"These are _my own_ pups. My _own_ sons, as you call them. if you refuse me, knowing the risk I take of mating my _own_ offspring off to non-Yautja, if you refuse me still knowing this…"

Henry barely had time to take the breath to yell, before his back was up against the opposite wall, Hult'ah with his thick bronzed gold wrist guard pressing firmly against his windpipe, mandibles flared and amber eyes glaring down at him. "Then I shall _personally_ lead a hunting party to this world. Staring, right, here." He applied more pressure to his throat. "With you."

"W…wheeze why? My daughters, why?" It was _very_ hard to breath with his throat being forced to the brink of collapsing like this.

"Because I like them." He was blunt, but truthfully. The way of all Yautja. "I saw something special and rare in their eyes. I believe they would have made excellent Yautja if they were born to our people. I feel, they will be _just _what my sons' need. I am _brilliant _judge of character. And I like their character. With time, I believe my pups will like them also." He leaned forward, invading his personal space even more. "Because you will _not_ refuse me, right Ooman? I will have those girls as my daughters, with your blessings, yes?"

If he refused…they would kill him, and possible hundreds, no, _thousands_ more of his people in outrage…but if he agreed…he _may_ get the secured safety of his people, never to be hunted again…but in the process…

"…my daughters…marry…your sons…" Henry broke out into the first scowl of his entire life. He glared with all his worth back up at the Yautja king, and deep down, impressed him by it.

"Do you permit it?" There was a deathly silence, where conflicting, livid blue eyes locked onto unrelenting amber eyes.

Henry gulped painfully, and slumped back against the wall.

He was beaten.

"Yes, yes I permit it." Immediately, Hult'ah released him, and let the proud King slide down the wall to the floor, and rest his elbows on his knees, holding his head in despair. His fingers were deep into the dark blonde bangs of his fringe, and he felt so cold. So numb.

The future of his daughters had been sold, for the good of the entire human race. And he had agreed to it.

As a father, he wanted to refuse, and rather _die_ than give up his daughters to another race.

But as a King, with the responsibility of an entire _race_…

He had no choice.

"Good. Good. Of which age are they youngest, and yet eligible to mated?"

"What do you mean?" He said with an exhausted huff. All the years of etiquette bread into him, all composure left him.

He had just lost his daughters.

He didn't give a damn anymore.

"Mating. Oh, _marriage_ in your tongue." Hult'ah folded his arms over his bronzed gold Awu'asa and replaced his mask.

But this was to hide the pity he felt for the Ooman king.

He hated being so cruel, but it was necessary if he was to get what he wanted.

"They can be wed from the age of 16 upwards, as a minimum, if the marriage is consented by both parents and it is all arranged." He recited on autopilot, his face hidden by his hands, his head hung forward.

"Then they shall become mates when Riona, your youngest, is 16. that will make Rose 17."

Henry didn't reply to him, and although frustrated by it, Hult'ah decided to let it go this once.

"I shall return to my ship and inform the rest of the council of my decision." Henry said nothing. And he took pity on him. "You are a god King."

"I am a bad father." Henry rose to his feet, and bowed. "Farewell your highness. I am glad that we shall have peace between our peoples at last." But he was on a monotone.

He would go to _war_ with the Yautja if he could save his daughters.

But they stood no chance. It would be the extinction of the human race.

And his daughters.

Hult'ah looked down at the empty shell of a man, of a king, and shook his head lightly.

"We shall meet again before the betrothal takes place." He bowed, and left with a sweeping turn of his silver white cloak.

Henry Requinas, King of all mankind on the 4 kingdoms, watched the Yautja King leave, and as soon as the royal gates closed, he fell to his knees in despair.

The Palace physicians had to carry him back to his chambers, and he didn't leave his bed for a week. He just didn't have the energy.

_Oh my darling daughters. _

_Rosemary. _

_Riona._

_What have I done?_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_Time skip, now 8 years later. _

"Princess Rosemary Rosalyn Requinas! Princess Riona Rosabella Requinas!"

"Nanny, you never change your tune!" A young 14 year old girl skidded around the corner, not caring that she was wearing a fine laced hem, white petticoat and her _best _velvet scarlet Spencer over it. (A Spencer is a regency piece of clothing, a short, waist-length jacket, with or without sleeves. A petticoat is a long white dress that falls straight from beneath the bust, also regency). Her deep chestnut hair was in an updo, with her perfectly curved fringe framing her eyebrows and forehead, whilst smooth curls framed her face and cheeks. Her emerald eyes were bright and sparkled with excitement, and she almost slipped over her own petticoat, when Riona almost ran straight into her. "Not _this_ way, silly. Nanny's coming this way!"

"Oh!" Riona, still fashioning a cute auburn bob, pivoted on her heels, and ran alongside her sister hurriedly. Their clothing matched, except Riona wore a dark purple velvet Spencer. She looked up to her sister, only a year younger at 13. "Where to now?"

"Erm…" Rosemary grabbed her sister's wrist, and they turned towards the stairs. They stopped, looking down the large white marble railing, and they gleamed at each other.

"Rose, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I do believe I am, sister." She chuckled, and pushed Riona towards it first. "Like the good old days, I fear." Rose giggled loudly, and hoisted her sister clumsily and helped her balance her bum on it side saddle. "Oh, how ladylike Riona."

"Oh shut up. Get up here." Riona pouted, and Rosemary pulled herself up after her sister. She held her waist, and prepared, both grinning happily. "Blast off!"

"Aye aye, captain!" Rosemary pushed them off, and they built up speed quickly, whizzing down the railing of the grand staircase, until their stomachs fluttered with glee.

They came to the bottom, and flew forward out of control, as they usually did, and prepared to land in a roll.

But they never landed.

"I do believe you like to make a habit of this, dear pups." They both had a muscular arm hooked around each of their waists, and jumped to conclusions. Riona's heart sank, and she went into panic mode.

"Let go Winston! I don't care if Nanny sent you after us, I will not be sent to my room!" Riona yelled, thrashing her arms about childishly.

"And I shall _not_ be subdued, because I refused to wear a bonnet! Those things are _damn_ uncomfortable, and hot!" Rosemary added with venom, also lashing out with her legs.

It was then they realised, that not only were they several feet off the ground, but their 'capturer' hadn't swayed once from all their struggling.

"Winston? Who is this Winston? Another Ooman?" Rose blinked, and Riona gulped.

_Ooman?_

"Oh dear. Riona, I do fear that _isn't_ Winston."

"And I do fear, father will not be pleased when news of this gets back to him."

"Too late." The voice of their father's chuckle met their ears, and they cringed. They couldn't see a thing under this huge cloak!

"Well, time to face the music Riona."

"You first…" Riona pouted, and they were both lowered to their feet.

Immediately, both girls walked forward and brushed off their Spencers and petticoats, before standing side by side, and curtseyed, and bowing their heads.

Being the elder sister, Rosemary stepped forward first, and obediently bowed her head once more.

"Forgive our actions, sir, but we were caught unawares by your presence. We were not to know any better."

"Like children." A younger voice snidely added, and Rosemary bit her lip, refusing to lose her temper.

Riona however…

"How _dare_ you comment upon the actions of those you do not even know!" Riona immediately snapped, her auburn bob bouncing with her furious stride towards the voice, and her emerald eyes burning with her fiery spirit.

But what those eyes locked onto…

Tall, cream brown and mahogany brown mottled skin, long dark brown dreadlocks with golden rings in them, deep amber eyes, muscular legs and well…muscular _body_. Everything was muscular, from his abdomen 8 pack, to his toned biceps, his lean figure…those un-amused amber eyes again…and…mandibles?

Yes, that was right. He had four mandibles, a smaller upper set, and a larger lower set, tipped with ivory white tusks. He had no weapons, no armour, just a long brown hanging cloth over a pair of what looked to be shorts underneath, sandals, and _nothing_ over his top.

Poor Riona. Poor little teenage girl Riona…

It was then she looked back to his face, and pointed abruptly. "You're an alien."

Rosemary snickered, and bit her lips together.

Everyone, including the one she was examining, blinked at her, and sweat dropped.

It was then, Riona wished the ground would be so kind as to open up and swallow her.

Right about now.

_Oh my gosh…what a stupid…idiotic…obvious…horrid thing to say!_

"Nice to know there _is_ life on this planet…albeit questionably intelligent…"

"We are intelligent!" Riona couldn't stop herself. Damn it, why wouldn't her mouth _close_!

"Oh, are you now?" He chuckled, and folded his arms. "So what are you capable of, other than ogling in a most obvious manner?"

"She is capable of riding, reading, writing, singing, dancing, and _perfectly_ able to hold a civilised conversation." Rosemary snapped, standing by her stunned sister's side, and glaring with all she was worth at the visitor. "I assure you, she made no offence by-"

"Has she no tongue?" He hissed, and Rosemary was about to react, when Riona walked forward.

She stopped about a stride before him, and placed her hands together over her purple covered chest.

"Please except my sincerest apology, sir, for admiring your exotic heritage. You see, I can only scarcely remember ever meeting one of your kind, once before in my life time." He was so tall! What was he, 18?

"I am glad you remember me, Riona." She blinked, and turned back to her sister, and the man who had caught them.

"Hult'ah!" She ran a few steps giddily, then stopped herself and flustered a curtsey. "I mean your highness, forgive me, I, I." She closed her mouth, and bowed her head to him again. "I meant no disrespect, I-"

"I am glad to see you, also." Hult'ah bowed to her, and snapped his head up when the other Yautja hissed in distaste, at the show of mutual respect. "And despite my pup's actions, so is he. I assure you, he has been _eager_ to meet you, Riona." He was still 9 feet, still wore a magnificent cloak, but he wore a similar hanging cloth to his son, but silver white like his cloak.

Riona looked back to the young warrior, and didn't like the way he was glaring at her.

Like he hated her before he even met her.

"Has he indeed…?"

"Yes, he has. Allow me to introduce my youngest pup, Daijuta." Hult'ah could have thought of a better way for their first meeting, but this would have to do.

Rosemary stepped up to her sister again, and rested her hands on her shoulders.

"Pleased to meet you, Daijuta." Rose gracefully curtseyed by her sister's side.

"Are you a prince?" Riona stepped away from her sister again, wide eyed and brightly curious.

Daijuta folded his arms over his vast chest, looking down at the little Ooman. _**I **have to become mates with **that?** _

"Prince? _I_ am a blooded hunter. I have had many hunts and trophies, and have ranked in the top 30 of our annual tournament on homeworld. What does this, 'prince' mean?"

"It's a title, sir." Riona giggled, oblivious to the fact that he was uninterested, and obviously making fun of her. "I am a princess, as is my sister, and our father is the King. Is your father not a king?"

"My father is no such thing." Daijuta clicked angrily, his lower mandibles flaring at her. "My father is a most honoured, high Arbitrator of the imperial fleet."

"So he _is_ a king, then?" She closed her eyes and beamed at him.

Daijuta sweat dropped, and looked to his father.

Was this girl for real? _Surely _she wasn't _that_ stupid or oblivious…."Oh!" He snapped his head back to her, slightly startled by her outburst. "Forgive me Prince Daijuta."

"I'm not a-"

"I haven't introduced myself." She curtseyed, and her sister rolled her eyes and held the ridge of her nose in despair.

_Riona, you are just too naïve. He doesn't even care…_ "My name is Princess Riona Rosabella Requinas. But please just call me Riona." She giggled again, only for Rose to poke her back, and whisper discretely in her ear.

"Don't be so informal, Riona. We are not children anymore."

"Oh, erm, or not." She fumbled, and looked plea-fully to her sister to come and save her.

And of course, she did.

Besides, a change of subject might do the trick.

And their father didn't seem to want to interfere…

"I am Princess Rosemary Rosalyn Requinas, pleased to meet your acquaintance, sir."

"Hn." He closed his eyes and scowled to the side.

"Do _not_ be so disrespectful, boy!" Both girls jumped slightly as Hult'ah barked a roar.

They couldn't remember him being _nearly_ as scary as he was now…

"Hn." He emphasised once more, and still looked away. "Should have followed Raijuta's example and just not have come…"

"Hmm?" Rosemary looked to Hult'ah. "Raijuta? Is he another honourable son of yours, sire?"

"Yes, when he feels like it." He clicked, troubled, and walked between the girls, placing a hand on each of their heads easily. "Now, your father must speak to both myself, _and_ yourself in his ready room Rose. Is that not so, Henry?"

"Yes, quite." He followed his alien counterpart's lead, just glad that he had stopped calling him Ooman. At least.

"Do you not wish for me too, father?" Riona piped up as Hult'ah ushered them out of sight.

"No, no you are to entertain our other guest, dear." Her father spoke up, but she couldn't see him from the tall form of the Yautja king.

_Oh no_.

"Oh…very well." Riona gulped, and turned to face the very irresponsive Daijuta. "…well…your highness…ahem." Riona took a deep breath, and started again with a big smile, and bright emerald eyes. "So, what would you like to do?" He raised a brow at her, and blinked at her boredly. "Would you like to see our art room? Or the billiard room? We have a lovely Astronomical Observatory in our upper levels, and-"

"I'm an 'alien'." He mocked. "Why would I want to look at space, when I just came from there?" Riona blinked, and giggled.

"Of course, you're right." She giggled again, and grinned. "What do you like to do?"

"…like to do?"

"Oh, you know." Riona clapped her hands together eagerly. "Hobbies? Favourite pass times? Interests?"

"I like hunting and killing creatures lesser than me, taking their heads, and polishing their skulls to display on the wall of one of my _many _trophy rooms." He answered darkly with a smirk.

Riona sweat dropped, and gulped with a chuckle.

"Well…we don't have anything like _that_…exactly…but if you like weaponry, I could take you to the armoury." She pointed to the left hallway. "Right down there. We have the family crest of honour on the shield of the first Requinas mounted down there, and all sorts of vicious looking weapons too." Riona giggled, and held her hands behind her back. "Interested in seeing them?"

"I doubt anything you Ooman peace lovers have will be of any interest to _me_." He answered snidely, and folded his arms again, looking away with his head high. "I bet you don't even know any sufficient knowledge _about_ weapons. You're a daughter of the highest ranking Ooman in four galaxies, and I bet you couldn't even tell me the difference between a katana and a sabre."

"Yes I can." He looked at her out of the corner of his eyes, and she lifted up one finger. "A Katana was originally used in ancient Japan, in _this_ galaxy, actually, and is a curved single-edged sword, preferred back then by samurai and Ninja. They are specialised kinds of martial artists from our past, who, although from 2 neighbouring countries, and the _same_ country, they were very different in skill and style. The Ninja kept to the shadows, used an array of weapons from poison darts, cutting wire, netting, Wakizachi, oh, a shorter blade than the katana, also one of their weapons, but also kunai, a leaf shaped bladed tool used as a throwing knife. Whereas Samurai, used only the katana, possibly a Naginata, which is even longer than a Katana, made out of a wood shaft with a curved blade fashioned onto the end. Also from feudal Japan."

"…and a sabre?"

"The sabre traces its origins to the European backsword and is usually, but not always, a curved, single-edged blade with a rather large hand guard, covering the knuckles of the hand as well as the thumb and forefinger. Although, sabres are typically thought of as curved-bladed slashing weapons, those used by the world's heavy cavalry often had straight and even double-edged blades more suitable for thrusting, like my father's royal guard." She then closed her eyes, and placed a finger over her bottom lip. "Though, they aren't very strong when slicing, compared to the Katana. And because of the hand guard, if is far heavier than the Katana." She giggled. "But then again, the hilt of a Katana is practical, but plain. People's ranks in the cavalry or military can usually be distinguished by how decretive the curved basket shaped hand guard, or if it's silver or gold. I like father's sabre, he let sister hold it yesterday, but said I couldn't, because I'm too clumsy."

Riona giggled happily, and smiled up at a very speechless Daijuta. "So! Would you like to see the weapons, or would you like so go somewhere else?" She brushed off her front, still smiling, and patiently waited.

"…I…" He stopped himself.

He would never admit it…but…he was actually impressed.

_But she's still a stupid, weak Ooman, still meant to be my mate_

Daijuta growled deeply and stormed off down one of the halls.

Riona gulped, feeling the tension coming off him in thick waves, and bravely waded after him. "Your highness? Where are you going? Do you wish for a tour of Jade palace, or-" Daijuta growled at her louder, silencing her, and he just stormed off even faster.

_At this rate, I'll have to run after him._ Riona whimpered, but grit her teeth. She fisted her petticoat by her knees, lifted it up slightly, and also sped up. "Your highness, please, if you would just slow down I could-"

"Pauk off! Pyode Amedha!" Riona blinked at him obliviously, and just walked up to him slowly.

"…I…don't understand, your highness."

"My _name_ is Daijuta! Stop calling me those stupid Ooman terms!" He hissed, and walked off even _faster_, aided by his 6 feet, and long muscular legs.

"I, I didn't mean to offend you, Daijuta. I just-"

"Forget it." He snapped, and stopped, when he faced a dead end. "…how the pauk do I get out of this place?"

"Oh! Do you wish to see the gardens? They are _lovely _this time of year. All the roses have bloomed and the lilies in the pond are just-"

"Why would I care what your _flowers_ look like?" His amber eyes bore into her, and she felt even smaller. Her mere 5 feet was paled greatly by his 6 feet. _Why on earth did father ask me to entertain such a…_ "I just want to get out of this _stupid_ palace! _Jade_ palace? This place is all white and gold! Why the _pauk_ is it caked _Jade_ palace, when it's not even green?!" He growled, his lower mandibles flared slightly and clawed fists by his sides.

"Because it was not named after its architecture, sir." She paused. "Forgive me, but do you or do you not wish for me to lead you into the gardens? If not, I could probably call for a servant to escort you to-"

"Can you get my outside right now?"

"Yes I-"

"Do it." He stepped forward, and towered over her. "Now."

Riona gulped, and nodded meekly, before turning on her heel and leading him silently back to the welcoming hall. She then got the doorman to open the great doors, stop herself just in time, as Daijuta barged past her.

He would have probably run her right over, in his fowl mood…

"Daijuta, w wait!" Riona hurried after him, holding her dress up as she following him down the steps, and into the courtyard. "Go left!" He did, at the last second, and turned down the gravel path lined with lush trees, and ignored poor Riona behind. She had to take three steps for his one, and felt more and more belittled by the second.

As soon as they entered the royal gardens, she put on a bright smile, came up by his side, and placed a hand gently on his arm. "Welcome to the royal ga-A!" He growled, span round with furious amber eyes, and shoved her to the floor.

Hard.

Riona didn't just fall to her backside.

She hit the ground with her entire back, and banged the back of her head too. "…aah…"

"Pah! Weakling Ooman." Daijuta clicked, but reached down and yanked her back up by her shoulder roughly. He dropped her unceremoniously onto a stone bench, folded his arms, and glared at her.

Riona bent forward on the bench, holding the back of her head in pain. She had to bite her bottom lip, and scrunch her eyes closed tight to stop tears falling down her cheeks. "Well? What are you doing? You should be checking for injuries, not freezing like that. Unless of course, you are _not_ injured, and hope to ignite some sort of _guilt_ or _sympathy _from me." Daijuta defiantly looked away. "If so, then stop this pathetic act, and get up. Nothing is more disgusting to me than a deceiving, weak female."

When she didn't answer, he blinked, and turned back to her.

She had slumped over onto one side on the bench, curled her knees into her chest, and still held her own head in agony. "…Ooman?" Daijuta was actually concerned now, taking a cautious step forward, and reached out to touch her.

But before he could, she pushed herself up, and forced herself forward groggily, one hand still holding the back of her head lightly.

He watched her back, as she rose her head high, and forced her hand down from her head through sheer will power.

But judging from her clenched fists by her sides, and her stiff back, he knew better than to trust her sudden animation. "C'jit. You _are_ injured." He then scoffed. "Should have been gentler on an Ooman. Father will _kill_ me if I broke anything."

"I assure you, sir, that nothing is broken." He raised a brow, and looked to her with narrowed amber eyes.

Riona turned, gave him a beaming smile, and giggled. "I am well. Besides, it was an accident. I probably startled you, walking up on you like that. I apologise, Daijuta." She curtseyed, and winced, wobbling to the side slightly, as her head throbbed at her.

"You're lying. You're injured." He frowned, feeling a strange pang in his chest as he looked at her.

"No I-"

"Sit." He barked, grabbed her upper arm, and threw her back onto the stone bench again. "Stay."

"Daijuta, you're talking to me like a dog!" She chuckled, and beamed at him.

But he noticed something.

She hadn't opened her eyes yet…

"Look at me."

"I am looking at you."

"Open your eyes then."

There was a pause, and he growled threateningly. "Open your Pauking eyes, or I'll _open_ them _for_ you." Riona sighed, and slowly opened her eyes. Streams of tears immediately ran from her eyes, and she felt woozy, swaying in her seat slightly. "C'jit. Where can I get a medi?"

"…a…medi?"

"Grrrr, a medically trained personnel, then!"

"Oh, a doctor? Oh…just tell one of the servants to get one. Why, are you hurt?"

"No, but you are." He turned, but then pointed back at her. "Don't-move-an-inch."

"Yes, sir!" She giggled and saluted him, and waited until he moodily stomped around the corner.

As soon as he was gone, she dropped the act. "Ah…my head…"

It was like there were hundreds of little people stamping on the back of her head, slugging pick axes and grenades at the same point of her head. _Wow, he is really strong…and he hates me._

Riona wasn't stupid. He had pushed her on purpose.

But that was probably the normal thing to do, where he came from, she thought. And they were so strong, that it would have probably been the equivalent to a nudge to one of his kind. _If I wasn't so little…_

Riona took a deep breath, and held the back of her head with both hands, bring her feet up onto the bench with her.

"I _knew_ you were lying. Stupid Ooman."

"Daijuta!" Riona yelped, bring her hands back down to her lap, and trying to look innocent.

Even though her cheeks were red and wet with tears, her fingers were just a little bit red at the tips… "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to observe your _blatant _injury." He knelt down in front of her, and clicked to himself, frustrated, as he pushed a small silver box onto the bench by her side. "Bow your head." Riona did so. "Hold still."

Did she _dare_ move?

Riona bit her bottom lip, as he inspected the back of her head, and rook a tube of something out of the strange box. She flinched as something cool touched the back of her scalp, and he quickly put the tube back in the box, snapped it shut, and got as far away from her as he could, without leaving. "You'll be fine." He huffed, and sulked to the side.

"Thank you Daijuta. I am in your debt. If there is anything I can do to show my gratitude, then-"

"Stay away from me." Riona blinked at him, and cocked her head to one side. "Stop looking at me with those _stupid_ big eyes, stop following me around, stop Pauking smiling at me, and _stop_…"

_Being so nice…_ "Stop coming near me. You disgust me. I would have found your suffering amusing, if my father wouldn't have punished me for it. If you were male, no one would care. But you're a _defenceless little girl_, so it's unforgivable." He scowled, his lower mandibles flared, and clicking furiously.

Riona just looked up at him, her emerald eyes watering, but not from the pain in her head. That had gone now. "Weak, pathetic, stupid little Ooman. Your race doesn't deserve to have the _cheek_ to want to be classed as our equals. That is why our kind _hunted_ yours. Like you did boars, for example. That is what I see when I look at you. A disgusting, squealing little animal, fit for nothing but entertaining one's self with, hunting, and feeding those above you. Pathetic, you really are pathetic. And you sister is no better. I bet she is just as gross as you are. Look at you! You have your hair like a male pup!

"…but…but I-"

"You can't even stand up for yourself, can you? I'm attacking you in the lightest sense of the term, and even now, you can't protect yourself. Why should _I_ be reduced to _your_ level?! You disgust me. The sooner I leave, the better. And if you want to show me your 'gratitude' then Pauk off, and never talk to me again." He hissed, and turned his back to her. "And you can tell your father the same thing. I will not be manipulated into agreeing to this. Ever. Leaching little Ooman male, trying to attaching himself to my father at all costs. Throwing his pups at my father in hopes of marrying you off to get closer to us. _Fowl_ creature."

"…what…?"

"And to expect to have full compliance from me and my brother too! I should have followed his example, and simply refused to come. But I relented under father's command, and came. What a mistake _that _was!" Daijuta growled, spouting off and totally ignoring the fact that Riona had gotten to her feet, and was slowly staggering towards him.

"…marriage?" Her past dizziness was _nothing_ compared to this. It was _worse_ than hitting your head on the floor. "…to you?"

"Why _else_ would your father have you tag alone with me to…" Daijuta paused, and slowly turned to face her.

Those big bright emerald eyes were wide, and absolutely horrified.

She looked like she had just been given to the devil as his play thing.

His arms dropped from his chest, and he raised his head in schooled alarm. "…you…didn't know?"

Riona could feel her heart thumping in her _head,_ never mind her chest!Her lips trembled, arms shaking by her sides, and her emerald eyes wavered up at him. Her hands shook so much, she hid them behind her back.

She was 13 years old, and stood before a 6 foot, possibly 18 year old _adult_, she herself still a _child_…after being manhandled so carelessly by him…attacked verbally by him…terrified so much…and was to marry him?!? "Well?!" He barked, feeling irked by her reaction. "Did you, or did you not know of our betrothal?"

"…no…I didn't." Riona took a step backwards, and Daijuta felt suddenly winded.

"You mean you didn't know…and…and you were still…earlier you were still…" _…nice to me…like you actually…cared._ "And then I…"

Riona's big bright emerald eyes watered up, and she cupped her hands over her mouth. She took another step back, but this time, he stepped after her.

Riona staggered back, as if drunk, and flopped down onto the stone bench again.

"A a a disgusting, squealing little animal? I disgust you?" Riona whimpered. "My hair is like a boy? You don't want to be _reduced_ to my level? My sister is just as bad? My father is a leech?!" Riona hiccupped, and got to her feet. "I have _never_ been so insulted in all my life! And I will never be again! _I_ am disgusting?! No, sir, it is _you_ who are disgusting! You come in here, make _stupid_, _careless_ assumptions, oppress your _vivid_ opinions upon me, _insult_ everything about me that you possibly can, make me feel _so_ put down, _manhandle _me, heal me, simply to keep face with your father, _and_ _then_ have the _audacity _to commit slander against my beloved father and dearest sister?!?" Riona, more livid and hurt than she had ever been, looked around, desperate for something, anything, to throw at him. "I, I, I just can't believe the nerve of you sir!" She settled for her shoes, and hopped up and down as she pulled them both off. "Get out of my sight and out of my home! _Never_ come back, and I will _never _marry such a dishonourable _brute_!" Riona threw the first shoe at him, and he simply cocked his head to one side, as it bounced off his chest. "I hate you! I never wish to see you again! Leave, now!"

"I will not-"

"NOW!" the second and final shoe hurtled towards him, but this time, he caught it in his fist. His lower mandibles flared wide open, the clicking in the back of his throat grew louder, and he hissed, absolutely livid! "_You_ **disgust**_me_!" Riona screamed, and tears ran down her cheeks. "And for your information! The reason it's called Jade palace, isn't because of the building, but the women within it! And to you, this might as well be called the _ice_ palace!" Riona panted with rage, fury burning within her emerald eyes, and her rose lips peeled back over her teeth in an outraged scowl. "Because you will _never_ receive a warm welcome _here_!"

And she ran from him, bare footed, out into the gardens and soon became hidden within the conifers of the royal maze.

Daijuta, still holding her slipper, stared after her.

But he made no move to go after her.

After all, it was only fair, right?

He had insulted her, and now she had returned the favour.

"_Get out of my sight and out of my home! Never come back, and I will never marry such a dishonourable brute!"_

"_I hate you! I never wish to see you again! Leave, now!"_

"_You_ **disgust**_me!"_

Dishonourable…the greatest insult you could give a blooded warrior.

Daijuta slowly turned and took himself back to the welcoming hall, and just stood up against one of the walls near the window, waiting.

He looked out of the window, and saw a girl sat on a bench at the far side of the garden, _far _from where he just came from. She was a pretty little thing, with a cute bob of auburn hair, weeping emerald eyes. He frowned, and almost looked away, when he saw another young girl running desperately down the garden, servants calling her back.

But she didn't stop.

It was Rosemary, running to her baby sister to comfort and grieve with her.

_I suppose father and the Ooman ruler told the eldest girl of the betrothal, then._ He knew this to be true, when the first thing Rosemary did when she met up with her sister, was collapse to her knees, and let Riona hug her head to her chest. They clung to each other, both hysterical with tears, and Daijuta was grateful for the distance and wall between them.

Because if he had to _hear_ their sorrowful sobs as well as _see_ them…

There was only so much anyone can handle in one day…

"Boy." Daijuta didn't look away from the window, as his father joined him, not followed by Henry. "Ah…I assume it didn't go well, then?"

"I will not mate her." Daijuta pushed away from the window aggressively, unable to watch anymore. "Pauking Ooman didn't even _tell_ his pups they were to marry into another species. To Yautja…"

"Did you assume he would?" Hult'ah shook his head and sighed. "Oomans are weak hearted. It doesn't take much to wound them. In fact, it is easier to wound an Ooman emotionally and mentally, than physically. And no matter how strong an Ooman may _think_ they are…like Henry for example…he still couldn't find the courage after 8 years to prepare his daughters before our arrival. Had I not forced him to speak of it to young Rosemary in my presence, then I fear, she would not have been informed at all. Until it was too late." Hult'ah clicked his left upper mandible and lower mandible together in deep thought. "Perhaps we should leave, and allow them to lick their wounds. As I have soon discovered, that the females are often the more delicate of the genders. But…be careful my boy." Hult'ah warned him, placing a large hand on his shoulder, and preparing the teleportation beam to lock onto them. "The female of the species can be more _deadly_ than the male. Simply, because their weapons _aren't_ visible." Hult'ah decided not to ask about the purple pump his son was holding, and pressed the lock on button on his wrist guard. "Come. We shall leave it a few years, I believe." Daijuta seemed in a trance. "Look at it this way. In a few years time, young little Riona will have matured. She may be a completely different girl, the next time round." He waited, as the familiar blue particles loomed around them weightlessly. "And next time, your brother Raijuta is coming, no matter how _wilful_ he wants to be about it."

And they were gone.

But they were certainly _not_ forgotten.


	3. Chapter 3

_Eleven years from the official betrothal was drafted, three years since the last visit._

"Welcome, welcome honoured guests. Your highness."

"Come Henry. We are past that by now, surely. You may call me Hult'ah." Henry, his prematurely greying hair combed back by one of his hands, and he chuckled up at his tall friend with tired blue eyes, heavy bags visible on his stress worn features, and brushed off his long imperial blue breeches and tunic. He stepped aside, used to the looming shadow of the Yautja mother ship in the upper atmosphere, and even more importantly, the looming shadow cast over him by his truest friend.

It had taken over a decade, but Henry had earned Hult'ah's trust and friendship, and came to ask him advice, always getting brilliant replies, and requests upon the welfare and development of his two daughters. It seemed, Hult'ah had over 30 sons now, and no daughters. Henry suspected that he would have liked at least one daughter, whether to spoil or not, he didn't know.

Did Yautja spoil their children the same way Humans did?

Hult'ah was still at least 9 feet tall, dressed in his ceremonial shimmering silver white cape and hanging cloth, over what looked like matching 'shorts', and he _still_ had a full head of midnight black hair, with ornate golden rings.

Oh, and there was the fact that he had sharp, dark amber eyes, colossal hands that could, and probably have, crushed skulls in their palms, the body of a killing machine, and the pride of a mighty lion.

That is how Henry thought of his character, a noble, laid back, wise, but deadly beast. _He is __definitely__ a lion._

"Forgive me my friend, of course you are right. I fear, many years of habit have yet to be overcome. Come, come, please come inside. The gale winds have decided to come early this year." Henry ushered them inside, bowing his head to Hult'ah first, then the one boy he _knew_ would be with him, Daijuta.

It was strange, having someone 7 feet, looking very much like his father, except for brown dreadlocks with no hair rings, brown shorts, tattered at the ends, just above his knees, long brown cape, strangely focused amber eyes…and yet he was only 20, now. He looked the same when he was 17, three years ago.

But there was something different about him. Not only did he bow back to him, but he immediately started darting his amber eyes around the palace. _Is he…looking for something?_ Henry closed his eyes, beginning to walk over to them both. _Perhaps, he's looking for Riona? No, that would be too convenient. Hult'ah already informed me of his 'distaste' for the betrothal. And even if he somehow changed his mind…it wouldn't matter._ Henry sighed, and blinked when the door creaked open once more.

_But…they're both here?_ Henry looked over his shoulder, and thought he would surely scream.

Stood there, looming at surely 8 feet, waist length midnight black dreadlocks, silver bolts in them, black angular mask with foreboding red eye lenses, jagged silver metal gloves, with twin wrist blades retracted, but visible, silver Awu'asa (he learned from Hult'ah that meant their special armour), consisting of a chest piece, moulding perfectly to his abdomen, a long triangle of silver chain mail falling over his brown hanging cloth, hard metallic boots, and many vicious weapons littered the circumference of his belt and other places, Henry wouldn't be able to see.

What he _could_ see, was a cutting disc, much like the one Hult'ah brought with him on his first visit, two vicious looking serrated daggers, one strapped to each thigh, a strange looking round 'thing' on his hip, and large dull metal maul.

That thing looked nasty, the shape of a flame, held tightly by his right left hand, like it weighed nothing.

All these items seemed almost like _overkill_.

But this guy…

…he seemed to live, breath and eat the words 'overkill'…

Henry gulped, seeing that unlike any Yautja he had ever seen…this one had _black_ skin.

Black.

Like a demon…

"Henry, this is my second youngest son. Allow me to introduce to you, Raijuta." Upon hearing his name, the dark predator inclined his head slightly.

It _could_ have been a slight bow…or he could just be regarding him.

Either way, he made Henry damn nervous.

"O Oh." He stammered, and desperately shook it off. "Welcome to my home, your highness."

Raijuta simply looked him up and down once, and then looked over to his father.

"_Can I kill it?"_

"No you may _not_!" Hult'ah hissed angrily, and trilled nervously to Henry.

Not that he had _any_ idea what Raijuta just said. "This is Henry, the ruler of his people. And the father of _your_ future mate." Hult'ah growled, getting that point _clear_.

Raijuta just clicked furiously to himself, glided over to his father. He turned his back to Henry, wouldn't look at his father, and looked to his younger brother.

"_I blame you for this. You told him where I was hunting."_

"I wasn't about to let you skip out again, cocky Pauk-de. Besides, father threatened to take away my flying rights off-ship if I didn't." Daijuta hissed, lowering his voice again. "And activate your translator to Ooman."

"_I will not speak the language of animals."_ Raijuta clicked darkly, stoic as ever, his brother noticed.

"If father catches you saying that, then-"

"_He knows my views. It makes no difference."_

Daijuta blinked at his brother.

Gods, he really _was_ 'docile' compared to his brother.

_Well, you don't get to command your own ship and hunting party at the age of 15 by being 'obedient'. _

And his brother was only 2 years older than _he_ was, standing tall at 8 feet, 22 in years, and not even in his prime yet.

After all, Yautja live naturally for around 300 years, but not as long as females.

It was only after Hult'ah reminded Henry of that fact, did he stop worrying, _as much_, about having his 16 and 17 year old daughters marrying a 20 and 22 year old.

16 year old Riona, to seemingly bitter, angry 20 year old Daijuta, and 17 year old Rosemary to this dark…dark 22 year old Raijuta.

Looking at the eldest of the 'royal' Yautja sons did _not_ calm his nerves, and noticed once again that Daijuta was scanning around him again.

And it seemed he lost his patience.

"Where is Riona?" He clicked in the back of his throat awkwardly, furious at himself for asking.

Henry blinked, and beamed a smile.

Perhaps he _did_ like her.

"Alas, my daughters are wilful at most times. It seems, that not even the fierce winds of autumn will tempt them inside. _Especially_ my youngest, Riona."

"So…where is she?!" He barked, and Hult'ah put his hand on his shoulder warningly. _Why the pauk can't Oomans just give a straight answer?!?!_ Henry chuckled nervously and gulped, pointing towards one of the windows, whistling as the wind beat branches against it's pane.

"…in the gardens…"

"Right." Daijuta pulled his shoulder free, not caring how disrespectful that was for the moment, and stormed off outside.

"Are you coming or not?" Daijuta paused for reply. Raijuta grunted as his younger brother, stood shoulder to shoulder with him, but didn't follow. "Fine!" He clicked angrily and stormed off outside, forcing the great gates open with only his hands. Henry sweatdropped, when only _he_ seemed amazed by this.

_All they all this strong? The main gates must weigh around 20 ton, the minimum._

"It seems, my youngest requires some fresh air…" Hult'ah trilled nervously again, very unusual for him to _be_ nervous, but dealing with humans was so tricky. They were so emotional and fragile. _Anything_ could either break and upset them. And most things did both.

Luckily for him, Henry wasn't _too_ bad. He could deal with him.

"Just like mine. Riona; she was very insistent that she would go for a walk outside, despite the weather." They shared a very awkward, painful moment, both realising from the get go that this was _not_ going to be easy.

"And young Rosemary? Is your eldest pup with her?"

"Yes, they go most places together."

"I see."

Again, silence.

"…_could be hunting right now…"_

"Raijuta hold your mandibles before I _tear _them off." Hult'ah hissed, and then sighed, his vast shoulders dropping slightly. "Why must you insist on vexing me so?"

_This isn't going very well. _

Henry sighed, and rubbed his hands together. The large marble doors were still wide open, and the gales were chilling even Jade palace's mighty halls. And one meagre king stood within them. _I need to __get__this__moving_"Well. . . perhaps we should retire to the study? I have just received your most generous gift and anticipate one of our thoroughly interesting discussions over…what did you call it? Kentip?"

"C'ntlip? You received it already? That certainly was swift. I give my praise to your curer service." He bowed his head. He sent that to the outer post on the moon outside the eastern moon 2 days ahead of himself, and predicted it not to arrive for another 3 days at least. Not _before_ his arrival.

"Then shall we retire? You of course are also invited, your highness Rai-"

And then he stopped mid sentence.

Both his Yautja guest's heads had snapped towards the open gates so vigorously, their midnight black dreadlocks whipped through the air and snapped against their necks angrily. Their eyes were wide, and bore into an invisible enemy in the doorway.

Poor Henry.

"…was it something I said?"

"_Trust the dull ears of an Ooman to miss __that_." Raijuta swiftly bolted out the door, and Hul'tah for a moment, stepped to go after him. And he would have, if it wasn't for a nervous hand placed on his forearm. That was all Henry could reach, after all.

"Hul'tah?"

"You see, when you have been in as many battles as both my son and I have, you are trained to hear certain things over all others. And when faced with death screeching in your face, you never forget the swift song of a blade being drawn."

"A…blade?" Henry blinked. And then it finally dawned on him. The sound will have come from outside…and who was outside? "Rosemary, Riona!" both kings bolted outside, Hul'tah deeming it appropriate now Henry was sprinting ahead of him as fast as possible. That wasn't because he was particularly faster, but because he wouldn't know where his daughters are, so Hul'tah let him lead.

Daijuta walked at a normal pace, mask attached to his belt for now, his deep amber eyes cast to the ground. Being the skilled hunter he was, it was easy to discern the harsh patter of many foot prints in the soil and grass earth of servants, from the lighter and relaxed prints of his targets. Humans who held themselves in high regard tended to walk heel toe heel toe, with the majority of their weight being supported first by the heel, and evenly transferred to the front pads of the feet, leaving a level print. Where those below their station, scurried around, the majority of their weight being supported on the front pads of their feet, and leaving more of a partial print, and closer together. As servants, didn't have the time to take a leisurely pace.

There were two sets of foot prints that fit the description of the two princesses, their feet being of a small, dainty size, and very similar in shape.

_However…this is most odd._

Daijuta lowered to one knee, and examined the prints.

_Why does one lady walk with her feet closely together and aliened constantly…while the other walks with their feet shoulder length apart? As if they are carrying a heavy weight of some sort?_

He raised his head, and looked down the plain of grass he had come too…leading significantly away from the palace. It almost looked…barren. Trees were half rooted, half strewn across the landscape, patches of turf were upturned. But it almost looked…

…_as if the ground was stricken by something. Something strong._

He stood, bracing his hands as if he held the hand piece of his maul, and swung his grasp diagonally, from up, to down. _That would have caused this, if I had aimed at a target…that had moved…_

His eyes snapped open, as he saw the footprints scatter randomly, becoming sloppy as mud smeared up around the prints. _They started to run._

He increased his pace, following the tracks, adrenaline pumping through his veins, as realisation dawned on him. _There was an actual __fight__ here._

He hurried, flat out running now. The princesses were attacked by someone. They were in danger!

"Riona!"

Daijuta barked, seeing the tracks go off the edge of a sudden grassy cliff. Without a second thought, he placed his mask over his face, pulled out a concealed pair of twin Wakizashi like short blades, still sheathed together, and leapt with all his strength over the edge of the cliff, releasing a mighty battle cry that echoed through the tattered countryside.

He landed on soft turf on one knee and one foot, and fluidly snapped his arms out to either side, and pushed a release button at the end of the hilts. This shot the sheaths off to either side, and produces a soft twang of release steal, as he bore his weapons. He jerked his head up, rich brown tendrils whipping up and clacking together against his back.

But what he saw, shocked him.

It now made perfect sense.

Why there hadn't been a third set of prints when the attack started.

There wasn't an attacker.

Before him, stood two very startled women.

One stood on her right foot, the left leg extended above her shoulder level, and the flat of her foot was frozen inches before the delicate nose of her opponent.

The other was stood on both her feet, but the fingers of her left hand wrapped tightly around her opponent's threatening ankle, about to spin her round, and the other hand clenched back into a coiling fist, seconds from being thrust forward into her gut.

Both had wide emerald eyes, both frozen out of shock in place.

"Oh…my lord…"

"Clothes!" The taller snapped, releasing the ankle of the smaller woman, and they both scrabbled over to a sunken tree, where their long dresses were billowing in the strong winds.

Daijuta cleared his throat, then turned round. The women had only been wearing brassieres, bodice, panties, suspender belts attached to their hosiery and slipper pumps. All of which, where white. Their pumps were consequently, filthy.

"Why did we take then off?!?"

"You _can't_ spar with a bloody petticoat on!"

"But, but we shouldn't have been sparing in the first place! If _Father_ were to learn we were-"

"He won't."

"But we've been seen! And so indecently!!" She squeaked, the younger of the two pulling her cream petticoat down so it flowed from her bust properly, and hastily started stuffing her auburn locks up into her crimson bonnet. "Rose!"

"Stop your fretting and put your Spencer back on, quickly!" The older threw the crimson bust jacket at her, and hurried in retying the lace at the bosom of her white petticoat. She didn't spoke a bonnet, preferring her long wavy chestnut locks to fall down her back. She managed to get her blue Spencer on, and inspected her sister. "Riona? Are you done?"

"Yes, I believe so. But-"

"Hurry, this way!" She grabbed her wrist, and they started to flee round the other side of the cliff, but were stopped dead but the immediate crashing presence of a monstrous figure.

"Raijuta!" The girls huddled together, Rosemary looking squarely up into the cold blue lenses of Raijuta's mask. She didn't waver once.

Poor Riona however, was terrified! She huddled to her sister, and looked from the foreboding figure of the dark spectre Raijuta, and the less intimidating Daijuta.

But when I say _less_ intimidating.

I mean barely.

He still had both blades drawn after all. It was then she lowered her eyes to actually look at the weapons.

Her head cocked to one side, and she mouthed her lips to say 'Wakizashi'. Why did that bother her? She stepped away from her sister only slightly, to gaze at the…familiar weapons.

Daijuta clicked his mandibles in annoyance. His brother chose to ignore him, and instead hold a staring contest with the oldest of the sisters. "_Raijuta."_

Rosemary stiffened, and reached blindly to her side for her sister.

"Riona." Hearing her name snapped Riona back to reality, and it was just in time, as Daijuta's had just noticed her getting closer, and reached out to greet her. But she jumped back and squeaked before he could.

"S sister. Wh what should we-"

"I'm thinking."

"But why are there aliens here? D Don't they need a permit, o or-"

"I said I'm thinking!" Rose snapped, clutching her sister close to her, and looking over all Raijuta's weapons. There were too many to counter them all. And he looked very skilled. She probably couldn't wrestle or sneak one of them from him.

There was only one thing for it. "Forgive me." She grabbed her sister's shoulders tight, and shoved her down the cliff side hard, before leaping forward and punching high, connecting with Raijuta's neck. It winded him, not expecting an attack, and he stepped back.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Rose snapped her head to the side, and gasped in horror.

Riona had never connected with the hill floor and tumbled to safety like she hoped while she bought her time.

Daijuta had moved swiftly, grabbing her arm, and yanked her into his arms like the lightweight she was. He stood tall at 7 feet, holding her like a bride in his arms.

She just wasn't acting like one.

"Ouch! Stop that!"

"AAAAAAAA!"

"C'jit!" He hissed, her arms and legs flailing everywhere, and her _talons_ scraping his neck for the _third _time. "Damn it Ooman!"

"Put me down! You savage brute!"

"Let go, now." Daijuta raised his eyes to look at Rosemary, who had a very intense look in her jade eyes. "You shouldn't have dropped your weapons so carelessly." His eyes widened, as she raised her hands into view, both brandishing _his_ Wakizashi. She raised her arms into a striking stance, and her eyes warned him.

However.

Colossal jet armoured hands grasped her wrists brutally, and twisted them painfully. Both weapons dropped from her hands, and she was forced to her knees, her arms wretched up behind her back in one of his hands.

"And _you_ shouldn't underestimate or _forget_ your enemy!" Raijuta clicked angrily. Giving her wrists an unnecessary clench. Rose screamed with pain.

"Rose!" Riona yelled, and reached for her, but Daijuta wouldn't let her go. "You _monster!" _She screamed, and proceeded to slap him across the face. Hard. So hard she yelped with pain. He was wearing his mask after all. He turned his face to look back at her angry, hateful jade eyes and clicked sorrowfully.

"But I-"

"WHAT is the meaning of THIS?!?!" Henry and Hul'tah had finally arrived on the scene.

To find one son man handling his daughter so badly, timid little Riona saw fit to _beat_ him across the face! And the other was torturing his eldest daughter, execution style!

Hul'tah took one look at the situation, and his blood boiled.

"Have I been cursed with dishonourable sons who would assault defenceless women!" He barked, drawing his own weapon. He bore a spinning disc in each clawed hand, looking murderously at his own sons. "Well?!? RELEASE THEM!"

"Daijuta lowered Riona to her feet slowly, for her to be pulled away from him protectively, and to watch her cry heavily into her father's chest.

"F F Father!"

"I know. I know." Henry was borderline crying, and borderline murderous. "Go to Hul'tah." His jaw was tight, and Riona hesitantly left her father, to stand _near_ Hul'tah. When he tried to comfort her, she stepped away from him, and wouldn't stop shaking or crying.

Riona was now terrified of even Hul'tah.

The grand Yautja watched her cower from his offered embrace, and felt sick inside.

Henry immediately ran to Raijuta, who had still to release Rosemary. "Release her." He stood there, a mere aging mortal human man, craning his neck back to look at him square in the eyes. His hand moved to his sabre by his side, and he didn't look even slightly afraid of Raijuta. Like he had been only moments before. "I said, release her **NOW**."

"Father, she attacked _me!_ It's fair game after tha-"

"If you wish to still be classed as my son, you will release that poor girl this instant."

"Now!" Henry drew his sabre. "Is this what I have agreed to, Hul'tah?!" He looked over his shoulder to the Yautja King. Hul'tah frowned, and then stormed over to his son.

"I shall kill you myself boy, if you do not-"

Raijuta released Rose, letting her fall to the floor in a convulsing heap of pain. Her hair strewn in the mud, her dress soiled, deep purple bruises on her porcelain wrists and tears burning her cheeks.

Raijuta stepped back, and bowed his head to his father. Knowing not to question him. Yes, to an extent he could rebel against his father, but never, _never_, allow the High Arbitrator Hult'ah of the Kwei Clan, to finish a promise of death. Not even if you are his own kin, would you enrage him that far.

For he surely _would_ kill you.

Daijuta simply watched Riona shivering with fear, her jade eyes darting from each of the Yautja, until she couldn't stay still any longer. She threw herself forward, and into the dirt with her sister and father.

"R Rose! Rose, are you-"

"Call for some of the servants to have a room ready, the physician called and some to aid me carry her."

"No need." Daijuta stepped forward. "I'll carry her! I'll-"

"No." Henry stared him down, and it actually silenced him.

"I'll go, father." Riona ran straight past Daijuta, not looking at him, and heading back up the hill to the palace.

"I'll go too! I can-"

"Boy." Hul'tah shook his head. "Enough." The disturbed King looked at both his boys. "You shall both be barred to your rooms prepared for you in the castles, and may not leave until King Requinas deems fit." Hul'tah bowed so low, his hips were at a right angle to his legs. "Please see fit to forgive the actions of my sons. And deal with them how you wish."

"I'd rather not deal with them at all, at this moment in time." Henry spoke, monotone, raising to his feet, carrying his collapsed daughter in his arms. "Could we please postpone our drink, your highness?"

"Of course." Hul'tah bowed again, and Henry walked off, leaving the three Yautja in the silence of the countryside, and the tension of the situation.

It was obvious that Hul'tah was frothing at the edges, ready to remove _both_ their limbs, from the way he looked at his sons.

He folded his arms, throwing his silver cape over his shoulder, and boring his intense amber eyes at them.

"Daijuta!" he barked, his upper mandibles clicking together angrily and his lower mandibles flared dangerously. "_What_ in the name of the Gods _happened _here?!" Raijuta was still silent, and knew not to talk until spoken to.

"Father." Daijuta stepped forward, his arms open submissively and his amber eyes begging. "I followed the girls, found there tracks, and-"

"Picked a fight?!?" Hul'tah raised his fist aggressively.

"No father!" Daijuta stepped back, and gulped from the level of murderous intent in his father's musk. "When I was tracking them, I saw evidence of a fight in their footprints. So I assumed they had been attacked! So I drew my weapon and-"

"Attacked them?" Hul'tah folded his arms. This was to stop him lashing out at him, of course. He tried to be fair, and let him explain before he beat them senseless. Then at least, when he tried to patch things up with Henry, he would have their side at least.

"No! I saw that they were actually _sparing_, and turned around to let them dress!"

"…dress?" Hul'tah clicked with confusion. "Why…where they _not_ dressed?"

"they were…in their underwear…" Daijuta looked off to the side, embarrassed as hell, but clenched his fists, and continued. "But I didn't touch them!"

"So then what? How do you get from scarcely dressed women, to savaging them brutally?"

"I turned, and they had run off! And…" He looked over to Raijuta, who was looking off to the side in silence. He recognised that pause, and looked up. Almost as if the silence had been his way of addressing his brother.

"And?" Hul'tah turned to Raijuta, allowing _him_ to continue.

Raijuta shifted.

"I got in the way. Just stood there. She shoved the small one off the cliff-"

"At which point I caught her! That's why I was carrying her!" Daijuta butted in.

"And she punched me…in the neck." Raijuta burned beneath his mask, ashamed that a weak creature like her had attacked him…and gotten the upper hand. Even for just a second, she had the upper hand.

"So you saw fit to almost tear her arms off? Is that what you're saying to me?" Hul'tah rounded on Raijuta, happy with Daijuta's involvement now. "You thought, she's injured my pride, so I'll remove her limbs?!"

"No, I just-"

"Nothing! It is now illegal to regard Oomans as pray! You can not regard her! She is to be your god damn MATE Raijuta!"

"I will not mate her!" He barked back, only to receive and silencing fist to the gut, topping him to his knees. Raijuta clutched his stomach, desperately trying to breathe.

Daijuta just stood there, and when his father turned to look at him, braced himself.

"Was that all your involvement boy?!"

"Yes father." He gulped.

"Why did you even follow them in the first place?!?"

He didn't answer at first, as if it was painful to talk. "Well?!!?" Hul'tah raised his fist, and stopped, as Daijuta pulled something from his belt.

It was a small slipper, so small, it had to be from a child…

"I…wanted to return this…" He looked down, ashamed of his weakness. He knew Raijuta would slate him for being such a female later…

"Truly?"

"Yes, father." Hul'tah regarded him, and resisted the urge to smile.

Now was not the time for it.

"If that is the case, keep that, and return it to her with your full apology." Daijuta snapped his head up in alarm, but didn't get chance to protest. "It must be on a one to one basis, and I shall give you a week to do it." Daijuta _looked_ as if he was going to complain…the thought better of it. "That…also goes for you." He turned his head, and looked down at the seething, but silent dark skinned hunter, who refused to look at him. "You shall apologise to young Rose. One week. The same applies. And if you don't…"

Hul'tah started to walk off, his cloak billowing behind him, head high and voice certain. "…then you shall both be labels as bad bloods."

Both sons snapped their heads up, dread settling in their chests at that last threat. They both understood the severity of what had happened. And both opted to use the back door to the palace, to go to their quarters. As to avoid anyone and everyone.

Raijuta was shown by a servant to his room at the end of one wing, and refused to even _look_ at his brother, while Daijuta was shown to the opposite side of _another_ wing. He entered his room, and collapsed on the large Queen sized poster bed. Which to a Yautja, was almost a single bed.

_I have to get Riona alone, to apologise after all that? She didn't even recognise me, and she said she hated me…_

"_You monster!"_

Daijuta took a deep breath, and released it slowly. _All I wanted to do was return a damn slipper to that stupid Ooman. How did this all happen?!? Why are Oomans so complicated?!?!?! _


	4. Chapter 4

The Jade palace is the political diamond of all the four galaxies. It was the oldest, and yet the most grand palace of them all. It's why Intrépido was chosen as the capital planet, and where all the major gatherings of the royal families took place. She loved the story behind the cold white stone. Even in this moment of darkness, she fondly recalled it.

_The first Requinas was so strong. The founding…mother._

"Do you remember?" Her lips trembled, sore and red. Simply the friction of talking burned. "Mother used to tell us it all the time. When we were babies. I couldn't remember it, but you could. You told me every night, when I called for her." Deep jade eyes wavered, blurred round the edges from bitter, salty tears. "Do you remember why you told me to stop crying, and worrying?" She cocked her head to one side, long curtains of wavy auburn locks framing her pale cheeks. "'Requinas women aren't allowed to cry. They have to be strong and fearless, for the Requinas men.' I used to say I'm not a woman yet. And then you would poke me on the forehead and tell me I was born a woman. I just had to learn the ropes."

Riona Rosabella Requinas sobbed, for the millionth time in the last 24 hours. She hadn't had a wink of sleep, and refused to let the doctor check her for injuries. Or leave her sister's sleeping form.

Rosemary was just laid there, sleeping. She had soon lost consciousness after being brought to her room, and Riona refused to leave until she woke up. "But _you're _the strong one, Rosy. In a thousand moons, I couldn't hope to be as strong as you. That is probably why I cling to you so, because of my weakness of heart. Without you to support me, I would fall into the dirt, for people to walk on. Wake up Rosy, _please_." She whimpered, crawling up the bed, and shakily brushing a stray lock of deep chestnut hair from her sister's face. "Wake up, so I can stand again. _Please_." Riona sat back, holding her face in her hands and sobbing.

The bruises on her wrists were worse than they first thought.

After the doctor was finished with her, it turned out that there was severe internal bleeding, and the muscles in her hands had been _crushed._

_By that monster._

Riona drew her knees up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them. But she no longer cried.

Her jade eyes were wide, and filled with a shroud of darkness, insanity flickering in their depths.

In her mind, she saw the Yautja princes, as she called them, roaring like beasts, and her sister's cry of agony, before she fell to the floor.

"I don't care how big, or how strong they are. I don't care. They've t t t-" Riona bit her lips, struggling not to break down again. "They've hurt you." She fisted at her petticoat and screwed her eyes shut, baring her teeth in anger. "I want to take their _lives_ for it!"

"…now…who's the weak one…?" Riona snapped her eyes open, and stared with shock. Rosemary had her tired jade eyes half lidded, but _still_ open, and her lips tugged into a soft smile. "That's the spirit. Not…that father would approve." She chuckled, only to wince afterwards. "Why can't I move my arms?" Riona's lips trembled once more, and she forced herself to lean forward on her hands on the bed.

"H He. Prince Raijuta, he h hurt your wrists." Riona's eyes travelled slowly to the deep purple and brown bruises on her sister's arms, spreading half way up her forearms. "He has large hands…"

"Not after I'm done, he won't. _Ooh_ fuck." Rose ground her teeth together in pain, as she pushed the palms of her hands into the bed, and forced herself to sit up.

"Rose!" Riona pounced on her, and steadied her by her shoulders. "You should lay back down! Recover before you mo-"

"Am I dressed?"

"You're in your nightdress, but yes, I suppose. Why?"

"Is father around?" Rose shook her shoulders, shrugging her baby sister off her. It hurt like hell, but she flexed the muscles in her arms. She immediately swore under her breath. All she could do was twitch her fingers. But she had no hope of lifting her arms yet. It was then, she turned to look at Riona. She hadn't answered. "Father?"

"He…he's in the armoury. Picking out…weapons." Riona brought her hands to her chest, and shook her head. "He wants us to both learn how to fight…self defence. I, you're ok. You taught yourself to do that secretly anyway. He doesn't even know that! B but I can't use a weapon! I can't even fight properly! You beat me all the time! He can't make us-"

"Wait!" Rosemary's temples were pounding, her eyes spinning, but her heart leaping! "Father is _letting_ us learn to fight?!? Isn't that against the _law_?!!" But her eyes were wide with excitement. "With weapons too!"

"I know, isn't it horrid?" Riona then re-read her sister's reaction. "No! Don't you sound so happy about it! Those _things_ attack you if you can fight! They're brutish monsters! Just look what they did to you…"

Both sisters went silent. Rose looking down at her powerless hands, and Riona at her will-less hands.

"Hn." Rosemary snickered, looking over to her speechless sister. "Alright. I must say, it's about time that father allowed us to learn the skills of our founding mother. After all, she was the first one to insist that it was possible to beat a Yautja." A wicked grin spread across her sore lips. "And beat a Yautja, she did. And at his o-"

"-Own game. I know." Riona held her elbows, and looked off to the side worriedly. "She also died, if you remember. By the hands of a-"

"And therefore, with the awaited arrival of our 'guests'-." Rose grinned wickedly, stumbling out of bed and onto her knees. "It is now time for operation, annoyance."

"What on earth are you talking about?" Riona cocked her head to one side, shuffling to the edge of the bed, and looking down at her kneeling sister. "And what are you doing down there?" Rose huffed, her arms fumbling under the bed."

"Waiting for you to stop staring at my floundering fish impression, and help me pull this out." Rosemary quipped, rolling her eyes when her sister immediately slipped off the bed, and followed her hands under the bed. Together, they pulled out a massive canvas, usually found in the crafts hall where the princesses pursue their many academic pastimes, and hoisted it onto the bed.

This canvas however, was ordained with lots of torn off pieces of paper with scribblings on them, pinned in several clustered groups around the canvas. "This, is our plan. Operation Annoyance!" Rose nodded with determination, her dark curls bouncing with the movement, and Riona, again, blinked with confusion. "Oh come on, we've known about the Predator's arrival for a few years now, and you never thought to prepare yourself, or even think how we were going to get rid of them?!?"

"_Rid _of them?" Riona looked to the messy canvas on the bed, and back to her battle ready sister.

"Yes, dear sister, _rid _of them." Rose shakily moved her hand to the first group of notes on the board. "Father may feel that we are objects to be bartered with, but there is no way on this 5th earth am I going to bow my head and become the play thing of any man. Never mind a male of an entirely different species! Of _that _species!" Rosemary grinned, totally confident in her wicked plan. "We must be tactful, and cunning dear sister, for this plan to work. It will be hard work, and we will have to be diligent, to see this plan come to fruition."

"Wait...what exactly are we going to do?" Rose smiled up at her sister.

_Of course Rosy didn't just worry for all these years like I did. She figured a way out of the betrothal!_

"We..." Riona held her breath, waiting for the ultimate epiphany that would guarantee their unconditional freedom.

"....are going to piss them off." ^.^

Riona blinked at her, waiting for the rest, or at least for an explanation. Only to realise from her sister's sparkling emerald orbs and wicked grin, that that _was_ her master plan.

"WHAT?!?! That won't work!" Riona stomped her foot angrily, pouting and narrowing her eyes at her sister's two fingered victory sign. Like their freedom was already in the bag. "All pissing them off will bring in is a galactic, interspecies war! And the inhalation of the human race!!! Is that your master plan?! To make sure we're too _dead _to be wed to the predators?!" Riona's left eye twitched, exasperated, whereas Rose simply chuckled darkly.

"Not if we're smart about it."

"And what exactly about this plan strikes you as being _smart?"_

Rose took a deep breath and folded her aching arms over her chest. It seems her sister wasn't getting the point at all. _Well, I had better be blunt about it then._

"We are _women_ Riona, we are the most manipulative creatures that ever existed. Yes, we are going to piss them off, but, we are going to do it so subtly, so cunningly, that when they do react, they will appear totally to blame."

Rose left her sister to mull over her words, as she examined the canvas; the accumulation of her every private thought for the last two years. "We are going to use _their _culture and _their _weaknesses to _our _advantage. So when it all 'comes to a head' we can't be blamed, and they will simply leave." She turned on her heel, smirking cheekily at her younger sister. "Whilst we go free, scott free."

"That sounds too good to be true, and far too easy. Which in my experience means one thing." Riona exasperated, her sister simply danced round her and over to her wardrobe. "It's impossible!"

"Never say never sister dearest. The way I see it." Rose used her foot to wedge the door open, and grinned at her clothes. "The Predators-"

"Yautja."

"-see themselves as hunters on the endless path to find bigger and harder challenges to...take by the horns-" She stomped her foot defiantly, and slipped between her beautiful dresses. "-and wrestle to the ground until they are the victor. This is the same thing."

"How is this the same thing?!?!!" Riona very clumsily threw herself over to the wardrobe, holding onto the frame of the doorway. Her sister was skipping between the 3rd and final row of her clothes, so Riona could only see the top of her head as she moved. "They _murder _anything that looks at them sideways, and put their head, on their wall! How is this the same?!"

"We're going to challenge them!" Shuffling could be heard in the background. "We will challenge them with our eyes, with our silver tongues and with our wiles. The only way they know how to defend themselves is to get physical. However, that is obviously forbidden here. So if we challenge them verbally...they won't know what to do." A giggle could be heard getting closer. "Enough of that, and a few more tit bits of annoyance, and we'll be rid of them in no time at all."

"How do _you _know what annoys them? Or how they will behave? You sound pretty certain...

"I've done some research."

"For goodness sake Rosy! What are you-"

"It's Monday." Rose slid back out of the wardrobe, making her sister move aside. She then turned her head to her sister, and grinned madly. "What do I do _every_ Monday?" Riona just blinked at her, as she nudged the wardrobe door shut with her shoulder.

"…but…your hands…your can't-"

"I _won't_ stay here. So help me get dressed." Rosemary dropped two very special outfits on the bed and waited for her sister to join her. "Riona!"

"I'm not helping you get dressed so you can go to that illegal brothel of an underground!" Riona leapt to her feet, clenching her fists by her sides. "Not in your state! No! I wont! And don't you think we have something a little more important to discuss? Like this operation annoyance of yours?!"

"_Riona." _

"Absolutely not!" Riona sat on the edge of the bed, one leg crossed over the other, arms folded, and her head defiantly looking off into another direction.

Rosemary raised a brow, and waited.

_20 minuets later…_

"Ouch!"

"Well, hold still then."

"If I didn't know any better, I would believe you're doing that on purpose. Ouch!"

"Oh, did that hurt?" Riona narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips, pulling tightly at the firm cords of a very inappropriate black leather and white lace corset down the dip of her spine, having already adjusted the lace over her sister's tight creamy cleavage.

"Fuck!" Rosemary snapped her head round, her long tendrils of chocolate hair whipping round to frame angry emerald orbs. "Sister." Her voice was sharp, warning her to be a good little princess now.

_Hypocrite._ Riona thought, but held her tongue. She instead, finished up her sister's corset, and folded her arms moodily again. "There's my little Kitty cat." She giggled, and inclined her head to an outfit to her side. "I think you're old enough now to come on the prowl with big sister."

"No way on this Earth am I sliding myself into that trashy piece of man candy filth." Riona huffed and pouted off to one side.

"But dearest sister." Rose smirked, tip toeing up behind her sister. "With my hands in such a state, I'll need someone to take care of me...and if I go on my own...I may cause myself more damage...and-"

"Oh for the love of God! Alright already!" Riona pursed her lips angrily, hating that her sister always got her own way. "But do I have to wear _that?_"

"Of course." Rose slipped her boots on, and smirked at her. "Jeffry is here!" Rose painfully pushed the window open, nursing her hands afterwards, and grinned down at a hooded figure on a horse directly below their window. She waved down at him, and he nodded back up at her. "Hurry up and put your suit on! It's already gone nightfall!"

"...Do I have to?" Riona regarded the red costume before her on the bed, and gulped. "This isn't a good idea, especially with our 'guests' on the premises. What if they catch us?!"

"I've been doing this for 2 years Riona." Rose stormed over to the bed, shoved the costume into her sister's chest, and raised a brow at her. "Do you really think hurting my wrists, and having those aliens here is going to stop me? Now _come on. _We don't have long. And we've still got to climb down the drainpipe yet. Don't forget to put your cloak on afterwards!"

The two sisters glared at each other, Rosemary wanting compliance, and Riona being defiant.

But as always...

"Oh alright!"

~oo0oo~

Worried.

Riona Rosabella Requinas was worried.

Or was worried the right word to use here?

She was worried the very moment she finished lacing up her corset over her bosom.

She was worried when she followed her sister down the rickety old drainpipe to the floor.

She was worried when 'Jeffry' turned out to be a masked man, wearing a hooded cloak, on a large black stallion's back, under the moonlight, and wouldn't say where they were going when she asked.

She was especially worried, when her sister slipped a bag of silver coins into their escort's hands, and pulled herself on the horse behind him.

She then passed worried, when she was also pulled onto the same horse, and told to stay silent and keep her head down.

She didn't know what she felt when they slipped past her father's highly trained guards, who looked the other way as they passed.

So what did she feel, when the horse silently took them through the backstreets of their beloved capital city, all the way to the entrance to the subway.

Possibly dread, when it was time to get off the horse.

Terror, she felt terror. She quickly grabbed her sister's shoulders and shook her, as if hoping to bring her to her senses.

"Rose wait, we can't-"

"You can't call me that." Rose made her look her in the face, holding her full attention. "It is really important that you stay with me at all times, and call me Panther, at all times. Do you understand?"

"Y yes sister, but-"

"And you're Vixen."

"But-"

"Never take off your mask."

"...I'm scared." Rose looked hard at her sister, wondering if dragging her along with her wasn't such a good idea after all. If she wasn't careful, they could get into all sorts of trouble just by being 'there'.

"It will be fun." _It's too late now anyway._ "See you in 3 hours Jeffry."

"Yes Mam." He whipped the horse, and it took off like a bolt. Leaving a very scared, and a very cautious princess.

"R-"

"Yes Vixen?" Riona paused, took a deep breath and nodded.

"You're going to keep me safe in there, right, Panther?" This was her sister we were talking about. Rose wouldn't take her baby sister somewhere potentially dangerous if she thought it wasn't safe for her. Or she could at least keep her safe there.

"Right."

"And we're not going to get caught?"

"No."

"...ok..." Riona nodded, and placed her mask in place. Rose did the same, and grinned, happy her sister was going to give this a try. "Lead the way."

"Excellent." 'Panther' raised her head high, and led the way into the dark subway tunnel. 'Vixen' walked by her side, and linked an arm with hers. This is what she was used to; letting her sister take the lead.

_**AN: hi there! I'm not dead! I've just had the biggest writers block ever! But no more, and just to prove I'm still a tease, I'm not letting you know just what the girls are up to till the next update ^.^ which will be soon...i've already written half of it ^.^**_

_**Review if you love me!!!! lol**_


	5. Chapter 5

"Password?" the cold steel door of the lowest, dankest room you could have ever imagined to find in an underground subway clanged as a face hole slid open. The cold dark eyes of yet another masked man peered down at them both.

"Let me the fuck in, duck wad." Rose winked at him, as the door opened creakily, after the sound of many bolts being opened.

"_duck wad?"_ Riona whispered, seemingly not amused.

They silently pushed their way into said dank room, through a corridor, and through another big creaky metal door.

But through that door.....

It was like a forgotten world. Unknown and unwanted by the civilised world above.

It was easily larger than 3 of the palace ball rooms, packed to the brim with people all wearing their own special disguise. The disguise was key.

Rank, wealth, profession. None of that mattered here. The masks took all that away from you and levelled the playing field.

After all, it was imperative your identity remained a secret. It was a criminal offence to be caught in a place like this...

The strobe lighting glimmered over her body, basking her in its sinful light. She smirked as she was shamelessly looked up and down by a man dressed as a wolf, who ironically wolf whistled her, and made some sort of conceited pussy comment as he passed her.

She smirked, seeing scantily dressed dancers, male and female both, dancing along the biggest bar she'd ever seen. It stretched the entire length of the room, with at least 30 people frantically serving alcohol and suspicious looking white pouches to their merry customers.

The back wall had an epic stage, with live acts and the most advanced technology feeding sultry music through speakers larger than three grand pianos.

Raised platforms with cages and poles littered throughout the hall, illuminated with spot lights. One such platform had caught her eye...there was no one on it...

"This is my world." Rosemary took a deep breathe, her entire body releasing all of her stress and pain with the movement.

No need for poise.

No need to worry who's looking, or how you look.

No forcing a gentile smile at all times.

No restraint.

No governess.

No duties.

No obligations.

No rules.

No worries.

Rose flexed her aching fingers, drumming the shiny black false claws on the tips of her gloved fingers against her thighs. The green and blue strobe lighting mixed with the heavy smell of smoke and alcohol to make her chest flutter and her lips curve into a naughty grin. She looked to one side, having cleared the entrance

"Your what?" Rose turned, her thick mane of chocolate hair whipping round with the movement.

"My world, sister. This is where I'm free."

"Free to do what?" Riona blinked up at her, fidgeting in her corset.

"Anything I fucking want." Riona gasped at her sister's language, but not as much as when Rose sauntered over to a ramp and climbed up onto a raised platform.

"R-Panther!?!?!" Riona squealed, wrapping her arms around herself, feeling very vulnerable on her own, and stared up at her sister. She begged her with her eyes to come back down and take care of her, but alas her silent plea was ignored.

The sexy dance music and sultry lyrics vibrated through her self restraint and moved her body.

This princess was going to party.

Rose bent over, dragging her false kitty claws over her open toed, spaghetti strapped stilettos and up her full length black leggings. She swayed her body, smoothing her hands up her tight black corset, playfully twirling the loops of the white lace, the only thing holding her ample breasts at bay. Rose posed like a cat, throwing her arms in the air, her slinky black gloves accentuated by her black glitter kitty claws on her finger tips. She mewed her black cat mask curving over her petite nose and rising to her hair line. It had white rims, and she had false contacts in, with amber irises and black slits for pupils. She also wore a headband with large false cat ears on them.

One eye she kept on her obviously insecure sister, the other on those around her, as she threw herself around the pole with her leg and one hand.

"That pussy can dance!" Riona squealed, as a 'lion' came and stood next to her. "Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to frighten you miss." Riona took her hands off her mouth and held them on her chest, still very unsettled.

"N n not a problem, sir." She started to curtsey.

"Don't do that!" he grabbed her shoulders, and made her stand up right. "Don't do anything that might give away who you are! I now know you're at least a noble."

"Oh no! My sister will kill me!" Riona looked over her shoulder, seeing her sister was watching them both, but still ground her slinky body against the pole, very in character of a cat.

"I wont tell." He chuckled. Riona looked back to him, seeing his outfit was obviously very well made. It was a white all in one linen cat suit, showing off his manly 'bulge'. It opened over his chest, showing off his manly muscles and the white lion's mask looked very similar to her mask, but it had a large white furry mane attached to it, which fell down his back.

This was a man that was very confident in his physic.

Riona looked down herself, wearing an outfit identical to her sister's, only her stilettos, leggings and tight sexy corset were a rusty red colour, as was her fox mask. Her headband had large fox ears on them, and the large fluffy fox tail that swayed with the movement of her hips, was so inviting, that the 'lion' man decided to step into her and play with it.

"E Excuse me?!?"

"You're new here, aren't you? What are you, foxy?" He smirked, his strong jaw making his charming grin look every so...yummy. Even with the mask on it was obvious he was a very attractive man. Riona blushed madly, but she was frozen to the spot.

"Erm, no." Riona gulped, trying to compose herself. "Vixen."

"That you are." He cast his adventurous blue eyes over her curves, and brushed the back of his fingers over the outer contour of one of her breasts.... Riona yelped and stepped back. But she didn't get far, as he still held her tail. "Are you here with anyone?"

"Yes." She sad adamantly, looking over her shoulder again to the pole, only to panic.

Her sister wasn't there.

"Would you like to be here with someone?" He walked round her, following the path of her tail and resting his hands on her shoulders seductively. "I could take care of you, newbie."

"That's my job Leo." Riona released a breath she didn't know she was holding, when her sister appeared in front of her, with a hand out to take her from this sexual predator.

"Aww Panther, she's yours?" Leo released her immediately, at which point Riona very immaturely ran into her sister's embrace, and clung to her. "No fair. She's so cute. I was going to teach her _all sorts_ of nasty things." Leo crossed his arms over his chest and chuckled at her. "So this is your sister?"

"Vixen?" Rose looked at her reprimandingly.

"Ah its ok. I wont tell." Leo reached over to a waitress carrying a tray of shots, and took the tray. "Put it on my tab."

"Yes Leo sure." The girl giggled and ran off. "Drink?"

"What's in it?" Riona took one, sniffed it, and stuck her tongue out in disgust. "That smells like polish."

"Tastes worse." Rose took it, and downed it. "Has a hell of a kick too." She giggled, and handed her baby sister another shot glass.

"Baptism by fire, and all that." Leo chuckled and raised his glass to her. "One, two, three." They all downed a shot, and Riona lurched forward. She kept the drink down, but her sister wasn't kidding when she said it had a kick to it. "Haa, should have brought her as a kitten, not a fox."

"Hay, she's new. She'll be fine." Rose stuck up for her, as always, and grabbed her sister's wrists. "The one good thing." She whispered. "Is I cant feel my wrists with this drink."

~oo0oo~

_This is liberating!!_

Riona, after a few more drinks of what could only be black absinth, was really enjoying herself.

Leo had stuck with them for the night, and at one point all three of them were in one of the dancing cages. After realising he wasn't going to get laid, Leo seemed to turn into quite the flamboyant pussycat. Riona had commented on this, and Rose simply said the word 'bi' to her. Riona just blinked and whispered back 'if he has a bipolar condition, should he be drinking?' Rose and Leo bellowed with laughter, and continued dancing.

But something was bothering Rose.

She kept stopping and staring out into the crowds, then up the walls.

"What's wrong pussy cat?" Leo held her from behind and they playfully danced together, before he pulled Riona into the sandwich.

"I just feel...like I'm being watched..."

"Der!" Leo yelled, pointing down to the crowd below them.

"No...I mean..." Rose stopped again, stearing out at the wall opposite her. And for a moment, just a moment, she could have sworn she saw-

"EVERYONE GET THE FUCK DOWN!!"

Gun shots fired throughout the hall, the music cut out the screaming began.

"Shit, it's a raid." Leo kicked the cage door open, and put Riona on his back. "Hold on."

"My sister!!" Riona reached out, struggling to get off his back.

"She can take care of herself, can you?!!?" Leo jumped down, sliding the sides of the ladder to the floor.

"P put me down!"

"I have a feeling I run faster than you!" Leo ran straight for a large curtain and slipped behind it. There was a tight crawl through hold near the floor.

"What's happening?!?" Riona whimpered as Leo threw her to her knees and started shoving her ass, making her go through this whole.

"Its a raid now MOVE" Riona crawled on her hands and knees, tears slugging down her cheeks.

"The, then police?"

"Or the drug barons."

"Drug barons?!!"

"I said keep moving!!"

How did everything go from beings so fun and carefree, to this?!?

"My sister?!" Riona scrambled out the other side, find it to be a sewage pipe, and held herself. It was cold and damp down there, and dark...and ominous...

"If she isn't behind us, we'll meet up with her later. Where is your safety spot?"

"M My what?" Riona yelped as he grabbed her elbow and made her run madly into the darkness.

"You're rendezvous point encase of a raid?" Leo yanked her to a stop, looped her arms round his neck and carried her. "You are definitely a noble. You can't run for shit."

"M my s sister." Riona whimpered, looking over his shoulder for a glimmer of her sister.

There was none.

"Where is your safety spot?"

"I don't have one. Tonight was my first night. My sister said she was going to keep me safe."

He skidded to a stop, and dropped her to her feet.

"Who are you." Riona blinked up at him with her watery emerald eyes and gulped.

"I I cant tell you, I-"

"I'm Lord Sebastian, Knight of the King's imperial army. I live in my father's estate within the upper levels of the kingdom. There I've told you." Sebastian pushed her into a ladder, making her climb it to the surface. "Are you someone who will be missed if you're not in your bed tomorrow morning?" Riona whimpered, pushing the manhole cover onto the street and pulled herself out of the sewers.

"Yes."

"How badly missed?"

"...very..."

"So you're noble." Sebastian climbed up after her, and led her into an alleyway, where a horse and carriage awaited him. "Damn, if you weren't that important, I was going to hide you in my chambers." He opened the carriage doors, his loyal servant cracking the whips to send his horses going. Riona fell onto the floor with the rate the horses were thundering through the streets. Sebastian helped her back to her seat, and pulled off his mask. "If you're that important, I need to take you home. If I know where you live, know who you are anyway. Or vice versa. So who are you? A Lord's daughter? A Lord's wife or sister?"

"...you promise you won't tell anyone?" Riona rubbed her hands against her eyes, drying her tears.

"I give you my world as a Knight." Sebastian prepared himself, looking through a gap in the curtain to see where they were.

"...I'm Princess Rosabella Requinas."

Sebastian actually forgot to breathe.

"WHAT?!?!" He ran both hands back through his short blonde curtains. "If I'm even seen with you like this I'm for the chop! No, no I'll be hanged!! Hung drawn and quartered!!"

"I I'm sorry I-"

"Wait, holy crap, that means that Panther is Rosemary Rosalyn Requinas!! Oh SHIT!"

"Oh, please Lord Sebastian, don't tell my father."

"Don't tell your-you have GOT to be kidding, right?! SHIT!"

Sebastian howled to himself, frantically darting his eyes back and forth, trying to find a way out of this. "I'm going to die."

"No, no Lord Sebastian! I have a way back into the castle, just drop me by the furthest wall of the west wing. I can get straight back to my room that way." Riona nodded, feeling her frantic feelings had somehow jumped into his body. That's how my sister and I were going to get back anyway. And like you said, my sister will probably be there waiting for us when we get there. She is very resourceful, my sister." Riona gulped, hoping her own words were true.

"I sincerely hope so. My Lady." He added quickly, making her laugh. "Oh shit, I tried to seduce you..." Riona just blinked at him and giggled. To think he was most concerned about seducing her, with all the other laws they had broken, was quite amusing.

They remained silent the rest of the way, Sebastian having relayed orders to his servant on their destination. When they arrived he looked around, checking the coast was clear, before helping Riona out of the carriage by the hand. It seems, knowing her identity, he was insisting on treating her as a lady. Even though she was dressed as a kinky fox, in a corset and stilettos and torn leggings from crawling on her hands and knees.

"Alright, I cant see anyone. Where do you go from here?"

"Over this wall, and up the drainpipe into the open window." Riona gulped, the wall being taller than she remembered. "Would it be too much for me to ask for a lift?"

"Of course not your highness!" Sebastian dropped to one knee and held his hands together. "But, if you could hurry."

"Of course! Thank you for saving me!" _I just hope my sister was so lucky..._

With Sebastian's help, she managed to scramble over the wall. Climbing up the drainpipe and falling through the window was simple enough. She looked out of the window immediately and watched as the carriage careered out of sight down an alleyway.

_Lord Sebastian...I must remember that name, so I may thank him. secretly, of course._

~oo0oo~

_This is not good._

Riona, the only sister to have escaped the raid by only god knows who, had managed to tear out of her costume and packed herself back into the long elegant dress she was wearing earlier. Her hair was immaculate once more, and she sat on the edge of her sister's bed, staring at the window, waiting for Rose's return.

It had been 30 minutes since she had returned, thanks to Lord Sebastian.

It had only been 30 minutes, but it was she was still on edge and biting her lips. _Please please please please hurry home. _

Another 10 minutes and she began pacing the room, pausing in front of the window when she passed it, only to see nothing.

"Damn it! Fuck!" Riona collapsed into the bed, covering her eyes with her hands.

Her sister had been caught.

If it was the police, she was surely to be disowned by the rest of the family, in which case, Riona would also admit to her involvement. It wouldn't be fair otherwise.

If it was the drug barons, like Sebastian had suggested....

Anything could be happening to her right now. Especially with her being injured...

"I knew it! This was a stupid idea! Damn me for listening to her!"

"Hay now, that's blasphemy don't you know."

"For God's sake when will you just..." Riona sat up, and stared with horror at the window. "Rosy!?! What happened to you?!"

Rose was stood there, her bleeding shoulder pressed against the windowsill, staining it as the wound still bled, and cuts all over her arms and legs. Her clothes were torn to tatters, and her mask was missing.

"Oh nothing. Don't worry about it."

"But! You look like you're been in a war!?!?" Riona helped her sister to the bathroom, and ran the tap for a bath. "We need to clean those wounds..."

"Do me a favour, if anything comes up about what happened tonight, deny your involvement. And hide these clothes in the wardrobe...I'll burn them tomorrow.."

"If it comes up?" Riona helped her sister out of her clothes, and into the bath. She tried to ignore how the water immediately turned red, or how Rose hissed with pain. "What do you mean _if_? Were you caught?"

"Not exactly." Rose closed her eyes, laying in the water, taking some sort of relief from the numbness the cold water provided. "But I may have been seen."

"May have? By whom?" Riona wrung out a cloth and dabbed her sister's wounds.

"...I don't know. Don't worry about it. It may have been no one of any consequence."

"Right...."

"In my dressing table." Rose flinched, pain shooting through her body as she forced herself to sit up. "There is a bag of alcohol wipes and a tube of healing balm. Could you get it out for me?"

"O Of course." Riona ran back into the room, closing the window, and getting the wipes and balm for her sister. Just as she turned round to head back to the bathroom, her sister emerged, staggering into the room in a bloody towel. "Rosy!"

"The bleeding has stopped. I'll be fine. I just need to dress them." She swooned at first, but caught herself, before she shakily lowered herself to the bed. "How did you get back anyway? I came back to get weapons to go back for you. I was so glad when I found you here before me. I'm so sorry I brought you into that Riona. That has never happened when I've been there. I-"

"I'm fine I'm fine." Riona giggled. "I'm just glad you're ok." She jumped, as her sister swore violently at the alcohol wipes going over her cuts. "And it was Lord Sebastian who helped me."

"Who?" Rose raised a brow at her, and Riona slapped her hand over her mouth. She wasn't supposed to tell anyone who he was!! "Is that who Leo is? Did you tell him who you were?!?!"

"...I had to. He was going to take me home with him to keep me safe, but when he asked would I have been missed if I wasn't here in the morning, he asked were he _could_ take me. So he knows who I am. He had to bring me to the palace after all."

"Damn it. He's a witness!" Rose started to smooth the balm into the cuts on one leg, while Riona 'attacked' the other one. "Although, you know who he is, so he wouldn't risk blackmailing you..."

"Sebastian? Oh no, he wouldn't." Riona smiled softly. "He was so very kind to me. He actually felt more guilty about trying to persuade me to go to his bed more than anything else."

"Yeah, Leo always seemed like a great guy."

"I think it's safe to say we won't be going back _there_ for a while, right?" Rose pouted stubbornly to one side. "Rose! You couldn't possibly be thinking about going back after it's been raided! And you've been 'possibly' seen?!"

"I know I know. I'll be stopping my Monday habit for a while." She grumbled, making her baby sister giggle with relief. "I just wanted so badly to forget about everything."

"Hmm?" Rose's legs were treated, it was just her arms to go.

"The pressures of being a princess, the stress of the betrothal. Which has quadrupled now that the bastards are actually _here_. I just wanted...to get away from them..."

They looked down silently; dread dancing in their emerald orbs.

"Well, we got to have fun tonight didn't we?" Riona finished rubbing her sister's arm, being very gentle around a very deep gash. Any deeper and it would need stitches. "...that's going to scar...and its not all bad." Riona pulled the blanket over her sister, trying to get her to settle down. "What about you plan?"

"Operation annoyance? It won't work. It needs both of us to do it. And you've already said it's impossible." Rose looked heart broken, wincing as she turned onto her side.

"Well...you've already told me that not listening to you is blasphemy..." Rose raised her head and looked at her, her eyes sparkling with hope.

"You mean, you'll do it?! You'll give operation annoyance a try?"

"Yes. For you, sister."

"And for our freedom!!" Rose threw her arm out, latched onto her sister's front and pulled her down into a hug. Riona then snuggled under the cover with her sister and they giggled together. "We'll send those crab faced monsters packing before they know it!"

"Other than Hul'tah. He isn't a crab face." Riona snuggled up to her sister closing her eyes ready for sleep.

"No...Hul'tah...he's something else..."

Riona fell asleep easily, just happy her sister was safe again.

Rose however, couldn't stop thinking about her mysterious encounter back in the underground...

_I did the right thing, not telling Riona what really happened...she would have just worried more..._


	6. Chapter 6 reposted

**Chapter 6**

**I have reposted this chapter and made key changes to it, mainly the interactions between Riona and Daijuta, and the new character will come in the next chapter instead. Thank you for your patience, I hope you like the changes. **

"Ouch!"

"Then hold still!"

"I can not hold still, dear sister, when you are attacking me like this!"

"Rosy, I'm putting on your corset."

"Exactly!" Rosemary scowled, wincing every time her sore bandaged injuries were moved by her sister yanking on the ties of her damn damn damn damn corset. "...stupid torture device...probably made by a man..."

"By the finest tailors in all the kingdoms!" Riona giggled. "Its not like we had a lot of choice in what you could wear. Having to hide all those bruises and that cut!"

"Yes yes I know." Rosemary stormed towards the mirror, glaring at her own image defiantly. It was all the rage in the 2nd kingdom, being full length sapphire linen, silver embroidery of cherry blossoms framed the breast of her corset, down the middle of her abdomen and round her waist. The rest of the deep blue dress flared outward thanks to the crinoline beneath it, give her a float-y look. She had sleeves hugging her upper bicep, held in place with silver ribbons and also flared out from her elbows to her wrists. "At least my bandages are covered."

"They are on you forearms and legs. This was the only dress that you could wear in public and hide your injuries at the same time."

Riona wore a very similar dress, except hers was a gentle pink colour with golden embroidery and silky pink wrist length gloves instead of the flared arm sleeves. "Now we need to get downstairs before father sends someone in to get us."

"Father can go and suck a lemon for all I care about his wishes. He only wants our presence for those...things downstairs."

"The Yautja princes."

"Yes. _Those _things. Remember sister, operation annoyance will only work if we are so detestable to them, _they_ call it off."

"Yes sister."

"So do _try _not to be so nice?"

"...I'll try." Rose rolled her eyes at her baby sister, and nodded her head with determination and let the way to their 'daddy dearest' and their guests.

As they finally arrived in the gardens it seemed that everyone was there. King Requinas ran a hand through his aging blonde hair and sighed with relief. He was about to send a servant to go and drag them out of their rooms, thinking they were protesting. He could tell that Hult'ah was also getting testy at their absence. As the Requinas ladies walked to the main garden table, about to elegantly take their places, they were ambushed.

"Riona." She blinked, not expected to be jumped on so quickly by him. Daijuta grabbed her hand, making her blush madly at the sudden contact. Men didn't just go around grabbing a lady's hand like that. "I need to speak with you. Come on, this way."

"Well, I-"

"Go on then my dear, don't be long." Henry practically pushed her after the youngest Yautja, making her very flustered indeed. A lady was also never _alone_ with a man either. Not if they weren't their husband!

Before she could protest or grab onto her sister for dear life, she was dragged around the corner and then off towards the far tree line. Daijuta definitely seemed to be on a mission. But with his 7 plus feet she was struggling to keep up.

"Lord Daijuta wait!" he jerked to a stop, whipping round to look at her and fanning his long black dreads through the air as he did.

"Did I hurt you?"

"No my lord. You are simply walking too fast for me. You're dragging me through a field in one of my nicest dresses too. Any further in and I'll get muddy." Then she told herself to be strong, wipe the smile off her face, and be mean. _Channel Rose. Just channel Rose. _"Now see here, anything you have to s-hay!?" She was suddenly off her feet and whisked up into his arms. "What are you doing?! put me down!"

"I'm just keeping your dress clean Riona." If anything he also picked up the pace, nearly running for the tree line! "I just want to talk to you alone." He skidded to a stop once they were in the thick of the forest and he stopped by a large rock. He patted it down clean with one hand, holding her body to him with the other arm.

Riona couldn't stop blushing. She'd never been manhandled like this in her life! He was pressing her body against his chest, her hands actually pressed against his pecks and her feet dangling off the ground. Before she could squeak a noise at him, she was lowered to sit on the rock. Even more awkwardly, he stood in front of her and started pacing. She almost felt bad for him, as he clearly looked nervous and troubled. She took this opportunity to really look at him. He was so very tall, with creamy skin on his chest, inner arms, face, the palms of his hands and the tops of his thighs. The rest of him was a mottled chocolate brown. He had sharp talons, ivory tusks at the tip of each mandible, and they were clicking together furiously as he paced before her. Riona caught herself wondering how many hours a day he must exercise to have so many muscles.

That was a dangerous thought, _Princess_ Riona. Looking at his muscular form was not what ladies do! She snapped herself out of it just in time for him to turn and face her. His big Amber eyes seemed to demand her attention; something powerful sparkled in their depths as he took a determined step towards her. His long dreads had the odd golden bolt clamped here and there, but other than the tight brown leather shorts, matching shoulder guards, with brown leather belts attaching the guards and shorts together across his front...

...he wasn't wearing anything at all. Eery ripple of his muscular chest, every flex of his biceps and thighs...all for her to see.

Well it really was more than any girl her age should be expected to deal with.

"Riona I just wanted to apologise for the misunderstandings we've had, and the false start. I will make it up to you, and I ask that you allow us to start again, and build a friendship." He then nodded, seemingly happy with what he'd said.

Riona found herself thinking how nice that was of him, and how reasonable a request that was. Anything to get him to walk closer to her so she could see those muscles move again...

She shook her head, and looked to one side.

"It's _Princess_ Riona to you sir. And I'm sure it is not solely a friendship you are interested in 'building' between us. I find it insulting that you would try to be so underhanded." She closed her eyes, trying to look as defiant as possible. When she heard a clattered laugh however, her cheeks burned and she turned to look at him. what was so _damned_ funny?

"That was the longest way to say no I have ever heard. Why do you oomans take so long to say what you mean?" He was smiling at her, and crawled up to sit on the rock next to her. "And why do you lie about it?"

"Lie?" Riona folded her arms childishly over her chest and looked at him, her mahogany updo bouncing as she did. "You are accusing me of lying now?"

"Well, yes. You lips say one thing, but your tone is untrue, and your eyes and body say something else. You are saying so many different things all at once. It's very confusing."

"That is absurd." Riona gulped, suddenly feeling how close the warrior was to her. It was very inappropriate of him to bring those muscles within touching distance...

"I'm happy. Can you see that from my body language?" Riona blinked, looked at him quickly, and nodded. He looked relaxed and positively content. "Does my voice sound happy?" again she nodded. "Do my eyes look happy?"

Oh dear.

Staring into those eyes would be the end of her.

Damn him! Being alone with him like this, when she knew it was inappropriate, just seemed to make her think of inappropriate things! She gulped and nodded. She felt her heart flop into her stomach as he shoved himself to sit right next to her, so his body was touching hers. The outside of his leg was pressed against hers, and his shoulder nudged hers playfully. "Does my presence feel happy?"

"Y-yes." Her cheeks were burning. She could feel them heating up on her face. She just hoped Daijuta didn't see her blushing or comment on it.

"So can you see how I am saying the same thing with all that I am? Every part of you is telling me a different story."

"Does it matter? You should take notice of what I'm saying rather than-"

"So you should take notice and act on what _I _say then?"

"Well-yes. That is only fair." she was flustering, not liking how he was leading the conversation away from her.

"Then when I say I'm sorry and ask for forgiveness, you should forgive me?" There was a devilish glimmer to those golden orbs. They were wreaking havoc with herself control.

"Yes, fine. Forgiven." She snapped, folded her arms and looked in the other direction to him. _Damn him._

"I am very pleased." Daijuta then nudged her with his shoulder. "Can I tell you something?" the tusks of his mandibles were clicking together nervously as he leaned into her.

"Sir, I have the impression that you fully intend to tell me anyway, so get on with it." Riona still wouldn't look at him. Where was Rose when she needed her to come and be mean for her?! At this rate she'd give in to her nice ways in no time.

"As a Yautja, that's like you being an Ooman, I have certain...abilities." he coughed into the back of his hand.

"Like hunting and running and things?" She took a deep breath and turned to look at him, only to find his eyes were looking at her with such a searing intensity, she wished she hadn't. He clicked his right lower mandible with his top one, looking very cute when he did so, she thought.

"Yes, that too... But I was thinking more ..." how in the stars did he put this? "..._natural _abilities."

"Sir, please do _not_ be crude." She wished she hadn't worn pink today. It probably made her blushing look ten times worse! She snapped at him, almost slapping her knees as she put her hands there.

"Oh...well I was going to talk about my sense of smell..." At that she burned, and snapped her eyes to look at her knees. Oh dear lord she'd embarrassed herself. How could her mind have jumped straight to sex?! It was all his fault, brining those muscles so close to her. She was only a young lady. How was she supposed to defend herself? Daijuta cleared his throat again and lowered his voice. "Yautja can smell a certain musk. We can smell things like fear." He gulped and turned to look at her curious green orbs. "...but also arousal." His eyes held hers for a moment, a knowing look in them. She bolted stiff and pushed herself away from him.

OH DEAR LORD.

Her mind screamed at her. How did he know?! She'd been so careful to avoid her gaze at the right time, hadn't she?! "It's quite flattering actually. I was concerned you wouldn't find me attractive." Flabbergasted Riona turned to look at him again to see his hand making a move to touch her face.

"Oh no you don't." She snapped, shoving herself even further away from him on the rock. "You don't get to-to-to _sniff_ me and decide I'm gaga over you! I am _not_ a hound!"

"I am sorry that was not my intention." He rested his hands on his knees and cleared his throat awkwardly. "I thought...forgive me if I've made you uncomfortable. That was never my intention." Riona's pursed lips and frantically narrowed eyes softened as she turned to look at him. The proud creature was staring at a tree in front of them intently. "It seems that is the case regardless." He pushed up from the rock and dusted himself off, his back to her as he mentally geared himself up again. "Well I've apologised and that was what I wanted. Thank you for your forgiveness."

Riona looked at the vast scar covered brown back of the creature before her. The Yautja were the thing of nightmares to her people. They were always the big bad evil in any fairy tale, and they were always cruel and merciless. But Daijuta... She smoothed her hands together over her stomach as she looked at the back of his head. He was not what she'd ever expected a Yautja to be. He was socially awkward, he always seemed to struggle with what to say to her, or how to even _be_ around her. The princess cocked her head to one side. He was so gentle, the way he carried her and the heartfelt, yet difficult apology. She found herself blushing when she thought about his hand come towards her face. What was he going to do? "Are you all right?"

Riona blinked a few times before she realised that he'd turned round and was watching her _stare_ at him with a blush on his face. Well, she had been staring pretty hard at him.

"Yes I am well. And...I _do_ forgive you." She finally allowed her face to take its natural form. Her emerald eyes were bright, her lips curved into a delicate beaming smile and her cheeks still held a soft hue of shyness. "It was very big of you to apologise to me like that. I thank you for that."

"..." His arms dropped to his sides, mesmerised by her breathtaking smile. If only she would always smile at him like that. "Shall I return you to the castle now?"

"Yes my lord, that would be very kind of you." This time she raised her arms and allowed him to lift her into a bridal hold. Her hands rested on his shoulders for added support and she blushed the entire journey. "You-you're not running this time."

"No I am not." She blinked up at him a few times, before she realised he wasn't going to explain why. He simply strolled back to the castle with her in his arms, making her even more confused and curious about him. This creature was the thing of nightmares, but his embrace was as warm as his amber eyes. His fingers were tipped with sharp short talons, but they never hurt her. His arms were ripped with muscles bigger than a man's head, and yet he cradled her to his body. "May I ask a...strange question?"

"That sir depends entirely on how strange a question it is." She couldn't help herself. Riona wasn't very good at holding grudges very long. And she had to admit, she was curious about him. "And I withhold the right to ask you an equally strange question in return, of course."

"That seems fair." He nodded, and uneasily brought his gaze over to hers. "Why do you wear your hair pinned to the top of your head like that?"

Well that wasn't what she'd been expecting.

"I suppose it is the fashion. Princesses and ladies do tend to go with the popular trend when it comes to hair styles and clothes." She giggled. Who could believe she was talking fashion with a predator? "You are right, that was a little strange." His amber eyes warmed with her laughter. Good. At least he was capable of making her smile. "My turn." Riona forgot that she was supposed to be 'acting mean' and plaid along. "I have so many questions!"

"All strange?"

"No not all." She chuckled and looked up to the sky for an answer. "Your hair." He smiled, looking at him with a shy smile. "It looks really thick. You and your father and brother all have the same hair style. Do you _all_ wear your hair like that?"

"Our hair is actually designed to knot together in long dreads as a way of ventilating air and heat to our heads. My home world is very hot compared to this planet." He stepped over a log, careful not to jostle his cargo. "I suppose for hygiene, convenience and aesthetic purposes we manually weave our hair into thick dreads so they are smooth. This way we can also wear bones and metal bolts around then for decoration."

"Really. Is that what these are?" she lifted her hand, about to touch some of his golden bolts, when she snapped her hand back. _was I really about to touch his hair?! Bad Riona, bad Riona! _

"Indeed."

"Can I ask another one?" the castle walls were approaching in the distance, and she couldn't think of any other time she could get an answer to this burning question.

"Go on."

"Your face..." he jerked to a stop and looked at her intently. The focus in his gaze was enough to make her gulped and shake her head. "Never mind."

"No. Ask me." He nodded at her, all his attention focused on her timid gaze, her rosy lips, what she would say next. "Ask me."

"Well...your mouth is very different to mine. I wondered with which parts you eat and which you speak with." Her body was tense as she watched for any sign of danger. His head cocked to one side and he lowered her to her feet. "I'm sorry." She panicked, thinking he was about to let loose his rage. "I shouldn't have-"

"Come here." He grabbed one of her hands and pulled it towards his face. "Now don't tell _anyone_ I did this, alright? I'd-I'd never hear the end of it." he cleared his throats and his nerves as he captured her gaze again. He lowered to one knee so his face was level with her chest. He looked up, and opened his mandibles slowly. Riona tried to step back but his hold on her wrist kept her in place. "Can you see my inner mouth?" his words came out like someone was pulling his cheeks apart whilst he tried to speak, but she could make out what he was saying.

"Y-yes." He then closed his mandibles and looked around, checking they were still alone.

"Well I eat the same as you. My inner mouth is like your mouth. Tongue, teeth, everything. My lips are rougher than yours as they are not the main instrument that forms the sounds of my language." He put her hand on his throat. "My vocal cords are in the same place as yours and work in a similar way. The air I can push through the folds however is greater than yours, and then my mandibles pull at muscles in my throat as well. They also click against each other to form sounds and expressions. Like your lips." Riona relaxed against his hold as he returned to his standing position. "My people use our mandibles for nearly every job that your people use your lips."

Another question immediately came to her mind, but she shook it off. There was no way she was asking him if they used their mandibles for kissing as well. No no no, kissing was a no go topic. Seeing her bristle he released her wrist and stepped back from her. "Are you ok?"

"I am fine. Thank you for answering my questions. We are nearly at the castle so I'll walk the rest of the way." She lifted her skirts just slightly as they continued back towards the castle.

"You asked two questions." As she turned to look up at him she found him staring ahead at them again, refusing to look at her. "I only asked one. Therefore I have another question to ask."

"Go on then." She chuckled, wondering if he found any part of her appearance as intriguing as she did his.

"How do Ooman males court their females?"

At that _she _jerked to a stop and looked up at him with a stunned expression.

"...excuse me?" Riona blushed madly and started fussing with her hands. They were so close to the castle. Why couldn't he have waited until they were closer, so she could have made an excuse and run off somewhere for cover?!

"How do Ooman males court their females? In my culture it involves a great deal of time and effort on the part of the male. A Yautja woman will beat off any unworthy male and only accept men who have enough trophies, enough general wealth, enough fighting skill to best them and any other competition in battle and are of course attractive enough. I get the impression however...that Ooman women do not look for all of those qualities or displays of worth in their mates." He still didn't look at her as they stood in the garden. "I have done a lot of observing when I have been hunting, and I have read a lot about your people. But courting seems to be something I can't understand...So...how is it done with your people?"

Riona gulped so hard she thought she'd got a frog in her throat. She may be a bit naive, but she wasn't stupid. He was trying to ask her how to go about courting _her_.

_No, I have to be strong. I have to resist! _Daijuta appeared very confident in himself from his tall and proud stance, but his eyes betrayed him. He was clueless about what to do, and it was clearly a knock to his ego to ask her like this. But he was willing to ask her.

A tug of war started in her head. Should she lie? Should she refuse to tell him?

Or even worse...should she tell him?

"Well every woman is different in what she wants in a husband." She started walking back to the castle, hoping to drag this out long enough to find a reason to run off and hide.

"For example?" he walked along side her, but his arms remained by his sides and he didn't move to touch her. They both looked forward with awkward focus as they made their way back.

"Well...some women like their men to be kind and gentle. Some like their men to be gentlemen and spoil them with gifts."

"What do princesses want in their mates?"

There you go. Riona held her hands before her and licked her lips. how to answer this without telling him exactly how to court _her_.

"That usually isn't the princesses' choice. The King usually decides her husband based on what _he_ wants. That could be financial support, territories or-"

"An alliance?" Daijuta finished. Well he had her there, didn't he?

"Yes and that is of course what has happened here...clearly." Her delicate pumps stepped onto the concrete path next to the castle wall.

"I see. Then how would I make this situation better for you? For us?" His colossal hand made her jerk to a stop as it landed on her shoulder as gently as possible. She looked up at him feeling so small and so vulnerable to his fierce but silent gaze. "I know this is not what you want. But..." he clicked his mandibles together, looking around them for some inspiration, some guide as to what to say. Something that would make everything alright. "I swear I will be a good mate to you."

"Daijuta you-"

"Just be patient with me. I'm not good at this feeling stuff. I'd be much better at impressing you with a show of strength and skill. Or gifting you one of my prized trophies. But this is a different kind of hunt. I'm not sure of the rules or the tools involved. But I want you to know I'm going to try. This would go a lot better if you could just tell me how I can impress you."

Riona was stunned. He turned her to face him with her shoulder, and she found her lips were open, but she couldn't find the words to say to him. his amber eyes were open wide, his lower mandibles parted ever so slightly. He was going to act on whatever she said next.

_What do I say to that?_

At that moment she heard someone calling her name and saw her sister running from the far side of the castle over to her.

_Earlier with Rose, just after Daijuta carried her sister away..._

Rose took steps for follow her sister, only to find that dark spectre in her way.

"Let them talk. Daijuta will just get mopy if he doesn't get to talk to her. Love sick idiot." Raijuta snapped. He was sulking himself since his father forbid him from wearing any weaponry, his mask, or any if his trophies. So he was only wearing black leather shorts. _Nothing else._ She found herself staring at his skin. She could see it was as black as the night sky before, even with his barbaric armour on. but without it on, she could see faint gray stripes on the outside of his neck to his wrists, and his ankles up to his pecks. Rose didn't think he could look any wilder, but the tiger like stripes proved her wrong. And now she could see his face, deep brown eyes and the bright white tipped tusks on his mandibles. The small spikes on the outside of his large crown were the same lighter gray as his stripes, and his dreadlocks were deep black and reached down to his lower back. "...what are _you_ starting at Ooman?" Rose flashed her cold emerald eyes on the snarky hunter and smirked evilly. Rose was after all the quick witted one.

"I was just appreciating why your kind wear masks." Rose smiled sickly sweetly at him, and walked right up to him, chin high. She stopped by his side, making him tense with her sudden proximity. She leaned in to whisper darkly to him. "It _is_ bad enough that your murder victims have to be killed by you, without them having to have _your_ face as the last thing they see before they die as well." He snapped his head round to look at her and his mandibles opening with a snarl.

"Careful Ooman. I might confuse you for a _flat twig_ and snap you in half." He hissed under his breath, also leaning in to her. To keep their threats between them. "I keep having to remind myself of your gender. You are so flat I can't see the difference between you and a male Ooman. I bet if I looked under your dress you would be hung."

Well that burned her cheeks. Then again, she did call hum fugly. The least he could do was return the gesture. And actually, it made it more fun that he wanted to fight back. The satisfaction of breaking him would be oh so greater when she was finally victorious.

"Raijuta my dear." She raised one of her hands elegantly from their cupped position before her, and placed in on her hand on his tensed bicep. He leaned into her, glaring at her, hostility oozing from him. He stepped right up to her.

From a distance it almost looked like the pair were leaning in to have an intimate exchange of sweet nothings. If only. "The women of my family have had men from around the world throw themselves at their feet and begged for their comfort and attention, only to be disappointed. Kings have died in their beds for not being _man enough_ to survive their powerful sex. The Requinas women have bore more than 7 children each for the last 10 generations. The boys have been strong kings and knights, the women beautiful queens and ladies. My dear Raijuta. You wouldn't be _man enough_ to survive me." She patted his bicep condescendingly, then placed her hands back together before her, and walked on a few steps. She smirked like a sexy upper class victor, when she felt an arm bar over her shoulders and pull her into a tall muscular side. Rose bristled in his gasp, continuing to walk with him latched onto her 'protectively'.

"You make quite a lot of assumptions Ooman."

"I have no interest in having a conversation with a brute that cannot even be civil enough to call me by my name. I have _at least_ shown your that respect." Rose turned her face so her chin was elegantly poised by her shoulder, currently pressed into the side of her 'betrothed'. He pressed her side against his, squeezing her so tight she winced. Her wounds stung really hard in his grasp.

"Well, Rose, how are the kitty claws this morning?" He whispered, making her snap her head towards him. he specifically slipped his hand from her shoulder, squeezed, and slipped it down to the small of her back, and poked her hard. She stumbled forward in pain, finding herself pulled into his anticipating grasp and held there. Rose hissed in pain and glared at him for all she was worth. She flicked her eyes over to the garden table, and found that both their fathers had left. Great, she was alone with the brute. And as soon as _he_ realised that, he grabbed her upper arms and pulled her before him. "Allow me, miss kitty, to make some assumptions about _you_. You pretend to be the perfect little princess and then sneak out at night in a sexy slut-suit to drink dance and pauk at your leisure. You Rose Requinas are a _liar. _One of the most dishonourable types of women there are."

_It __was__ him! Not Hult'ah! Shit._

Last night during the raid _someone _attacked her as she tried to make her escape. He threw her around like a rag doll in the panic, but she couldn't see who her attacker was. It was all she could do to survive the onslaught of hidden blades and fists to escape with her life.

"I'm not a liar. I never said I was a perfect princess. I never said I was a good girl that did what she was told." Rose hissed, banging her fists on his chest to try and free herself from his vice like grip. _"You_ attacked me last night! I'm covered in wounds and a lot of them are going to scar because of you!"

"Consider yourself very lucky I was playing with you for my own entertainment." Raijuta lifted her off her feet and pushed her against the castle wall, still out of sight. "You are the only Ooman I have ever looked sideways at and has lived to talk about it. I have killed all the others and have their trophies, their skulls, on my wall to show off my skill." He clattered in her face, pinning her to the wall by her biceps, knowing he'd clawed her there with the very tops of his wrist blades. He dug his fingers into her wounds, seeing her hiss at him in response. She grit her jaw and refused to give him the satisfaction of showing him any weakness. No tears, no whimpering. Just burning anger in her fiery jade eyes.

"What you are referring to as _skill_, sir, is your ability to hunt down defenceless, clueless, human beings, ambush them with your invisible technique, and take advantage of them. I hardly think having skeletons on your wall equates to you having great skill, _sir."_ She spat, trying her best to lean forward and hiss in his face. "You could have a million skulls on your wall and I wouldn't be impressed."

Emerald eyes glared into dark brown ones, raging flames flickering between them. "And for your information, sir." She ground through her teeth. "I have partaken of alcohol and danced for fun, but I have never slept with anyone. I am a virgin and I will remain that way until I am married. And." She grinned wickedly, blowing him an arrogant kiss. "That will _not_ be to _you_."

"You are sure of that, are you princess?" Raijuta clattered, seemingly amused at her antics. He wouldn't admit it, but he was starting to like this little minx. Yautja women acted just like this when they were courting. Their hostility was a way of putting weaker less determined men off them. Yautja women, however, were much bigger and stronger and much more capable of actually causing lesser weaker males physical harm if they didn't get the message. He mentally shook his head at that. Riona was not a fiery and powerful Yautja huntress worthy of his attention. She was a skinny little Ooman; a thorn in his side. "We are betrothed to be mated. It isn't a matter of 'IF', it's a matter of 'WHEN'. All because of your Father wanting to make nice with mine. I _still_ don't know how my father became tricked into agreeing to this."

"So you don't want this?" Raijuta cocked his head to one side. Her face had changed completely. There was a sparkle to her eyes, like she was calculating and analysing everything he said. Her rosy lips were slightly parted, as if she was ready reply to anything he said. She had also relaxed slightly in his grip, so he lowered her to her feet and held her biceps with a little less malice.

"Do I _want _to be mated to a bony stick? Hmmmm, let me think."

"Then do you know how we can stop this?" he let her pull her arms out of his grasp and rub them. He folded his arms over this front and regarded her with a raised brow. "My people can't be the ones to end it as the repercussions would be dire for our people." Rose leaned back against the wall, her inner business woman coming out. If Raijuta was just as against this union as she was, then perhaps she had an ally in him. "Raijuta if you know a way out of this you need to tell me. We can work together and get out of this."

"There is no getting out of this betrothal. To do so would be dishonourable. No Yautja worth their blood goes back on his word."

"But it wasn't _your_ word." Rose mimicked him, folding her arms over her chest. "And it wasn't mine. And if neither of us want this then surely there is a way to get out of an arranged marriage we don't consent to."

"Not among our people." His dreads fell forward as he looked off to one side, probably checking they were still alone. "To refuse to the betrothal would be to dishonour our parents who made the arrangement. I will not dishonour my father. And you shouldn't want to dishonour yours." Her eyes narrowed at that, and she growled to herself and looked to one side. _So much for finding an ally. _"I do not wish to be mated to you. But we will be mated. We could however...make an arrangement out of it..." sharp emerald eyes snapped to his, sending an uncomfortable chill down his spine. He didn't want to think why. Rose put one hand on her hip and pressed the fingers of her other hand to her lips, as if to mimic someone in deep thought.

"So what you're saying is, no one cares that I don't want to become your bitch and I'm supposed to say yes daddy, do as I'm told and part my legs like a good little girl? Is that about right?" She turned from her musings to look at Raijuta nonchalantly. It took a few moments for the dark warrior to realise that she wanted him to answer that question.

"Well I guess the answer to that question is yes. Though I wouldn't have put it quite as crudely. And I also highly doubt." He stepped towards her, invading her personal space and causing her to return to her tense position against the castle wall. "That you would become my bitch. Now!" He pushed himself up against her and covered her mouth with one of his colossal hands. "We need to start talking about terms. If we have to be stuck together, we might as well set out some ground rules to make life more liveable for both of us. This is going to happen, despite our reluctance." She started to thrash under his grasp, so he snarled in her face. She stopped moving, but Rose glared back into his dark orbs with all the fire she had. "Now we've had a good talk. We've learned a few things about each other. We both despise the idea of being mated, so we're on the same page." He clicked his mandibles in her face, pressing his hand to her mouth when she tried to pull away. "I know you can fight so at least I can train you. The way you dodged and threw things at me, _despite_ the fact you couldn't see me, tells me this much. You're stubborn so I'll have to break you-" Rose twisted her head to one side and snarled at him.

"You fucking try it!" he banged his now free fist to bang the wall next to her head.

"Oh I will, and I'm sure it'll be fun. Oh, and as you learned last night, I'm more than capable of kicking your ass." He grabbed her biceps again and squeezed to prove his point. "In my culture, the stronger person in the relationship is the dominant one. Now, usually that is the woman due to her sheer size. However, I think we can agree that that won't be the case with us." He growled deeply, the vibrations of it emanating through his chest and into hers. "I want you to remember that when you think about being an ass with me next time. Now this is going to happen, and I'll be damned if I let you ruin my life. Now I'm willing to make compromises on some things. So you need to start thinking about what you really want, and what you'll be willing to give me in exchange for it. Because I'm only going to discuss making a deal with you once, before we become mated."

"What if I just refuse?" She snapped, jerking against his hands to no avail. He was just so much bigger than she was.

"Every day we are not mated, my father gets angrier and angrier, and your father becomes more and more afraid of what my father will do to him and your people. Are you really willing to see what will happen if you just 'refuse'?" Raijuta clattered madly in her face, loving the defiance in her glare. It was quite hot actually. He anticipated many passion filled nights with this woman during-and-after he broke her in. Such fire in her eyes. "Let me know when you've come to your senses and you're ready to discuss terms." He then swung her round and threw her down to the grassy floor of the royal gardens. Rose landed on her hands and knees, staring at the ground in her shock. She heard him chuckle and take a step towards her, so she sprang to her feet and bolted towards the forest.

If Daijuta was having the same conversation with Riona then...!

Her sister was her life.

As she skidded around the corner she saw her sister was right there! Staring up at Daijuta...who had his hand on her shoulder...

Rose threw one foot after the other, holding her skirts in her hands as she tore towards them, Raijuta in pursuit.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"So...nothing happened?"

"No. He just apologised and we talked."

"...were you nice to him?"

"...no..."

"Riona!" Rose stopped pacing around her sister on the bed and stomped her foot angrily. "You _promised_ you wouldn't be nice to him!"

"Oh I tried sis." The younger woman sulked, holding her hands and her gaze on her lap. "But he apologised and he was so sweet."

"No! Predators are NOT SWEET!" Rose hissed and continued to pace around her room. As soon as she'd seen her sister in the grips of that monster, she'd grabbed her and dragged her through the palace to her room. That's when she started to interrogate her timid little sister. "They are big bad baddies!" The brunette hissed, again, and moodily dropped herself into her dresser side chair. "I was practically read the riot act by Raijuta. 'It isn't a matter of if but a matter of when'. Asshole." She put her elbow on the chair arm, her chin on her fist, and drummed her fingers on the dresser as she thought intently at the opposite wall. "Well at least he revealed that they are _not_ going to back out. Under no circumstances."

"They're not?" Riona felt it was safe enough to get up from the bed and lowered to sit at her sister's feet. Her pink skirts fanned out around her. She tucked some of her stray mahogany locks behind her ears, and blushed. An image of Daijuta appeared in her mind, asking about her hair.

"No. Apparently it's a matter of honour. They are all freaking honour bound. Damn it. You know what we need?"

"What?" Riona watched the cogs in her sister's head turn.

"A freaking miracle."

"WHERE ARE MY NIECES?!"

Both girls snapped their eyes to the door and all their worries vanished.

"Is that-"

"Aunty V!" Rose pulled her sister to her feet and they scrambled, very unladylike I might add, out of the room and to the large stair case.

"Lady Requinas, the King has expressed his deepest desire for you to-"

"That brother of mind can kiss my ass." Sharp steel eyes looked around the entrance hall with a purpose. "If he can't be _man enough_ to ask me to leave himself, then he can go shove it up his ass."

"Oh my Lady!" the Butler stumbled backwards from her sheer vulgarity.

"Missed me Gerald?" he woman cackled and looked around the room again. "Now where are my nieces?"

"Aunty V!" Riona shouted with a bright smile from the top of the banister, grabbing her skirts so she could quickly run down them. As she got to her beloved aunt she threw herself at the woman, who held her tightly. Rose elegantly lowered from one step to the next, entering the hall like a true gentile lady.

"Lady Requinas, it's wonderful to see you again." She beamed a smile at the woman and the sister she was embracing.

"Good girl. Now you can just call me Aunty V or Vivian, ok?" he woman's crimson lips pulled into a proud smile as she pulled her eldest niece into her arms.

The woman had long golden hair tied into two thick French plants on top of her head, running down the back of her head and falling her back. The ridge shape they formed always made this woman look quite demonic. The steel grey eyes and black leather outfits usually helped with that image as well. Today's outfit was a classic Aunty V ensemble. Black leather high heel boots, black leather skin tight trousers, black belt with a silver buckle low down her hips, flat stomach bare, black leather bust corset packing her voluptuous breasts in place, and a long black leather trench coat. Her nails were manicured and also black of course, but her lips were ruby red, and her lashes and eyeliner as black as the rest of her outfit. "When did you get here?!" Riona pulled back from the embrace and steadied herself.

"Just now, of course." Her shapely brow curved at her eldest niece and then to her youngest. She then looked around to see they were alone, before taking one of their hands each. "Now what is this nonsense I've heard about you two being promised to a pair of aliens?"

The two sisters looked at each other and shared a 'where do we start' look.

"Well Aunty V." Rose began...

"No."

"What do you mean, _no?_"

"You're not doing it."

"Oh dear gods sister." Henry held his face in his hands, sat behind the desk in his office, wishing the world would leave him alone for a little while. Just long enough so he could actually hear himself think. If it wasn't Rose snarling at him it was Riona looking downtrodden or Hult'ah dropping hints that this was taking _far _too long.

The _last_ thing he needed was his trouble making black sheep of a sister giving him hell. "Despite what _you_ may think, my daughters are princesses of the realm. They have been arranged to be wed to these...noble men. I have come to trust Hult'ah dearly, and I see no difference between marrying my daughters for an alliance with the Yautja, or any other kingdom. Which as we both _know."_ He narrowed his tired blue eyes on his sister. "Was _always_ to be their fate as daughters' of the King." He dared to raise his hand and point at his sister, despite the visible signs she was about to boil over. "The only reason that was not _your _fate, is you are not in line to the throne, and every arrangement I tried to make for you-"

"I told to go fuck themselves." Henry flinched at the edge of her tongue. Despite her regular whirlwind visits, he would never be used to his sister's...ways. The angry blonde folded her arms over her front and glared at her brother and king. "Which is what I would have told that Hultar had I been present when he cornered you into this 'betrothal'."

"My dear sister." He signed again, feeling his exhaustion increasing tenfold. "His name is Hult'ah, the High Arbitrator of his race. He is a very powerful, very proud and noble _warrior. _And my friend."

"Well brother, you keep poor company." Vivian hissed, pacing with a fury before her brother at his desk. "Can we not offer him something else? Like gold, land or a different choice of wives for his boys?" She stopped long enough to drill her eyes into him once more and wait for him answer.

King Henry Requinas locked his fingers together on the desk and raised a brow at his sister.

"Dear, dear sister. With the arduous way my daughters have rebelled against this engagement, do you not think I have discussed that very possibility with Hult'ah already?" At first she thought of snapping back at him, but she closed her eyes and released a painful sigh. He was right, of course. Henry may be a push over and an ass, but he wasn't without compassion for his daughters. He had flaws, but he was a good father. He was just a better King.

"Of course brother." She turned and walked away from him and towards the fire place. Vivian leaned with her hands on the mantelpiece, staring into the roaring flames as if hoping she would find an answer in the glowing embers. "So I can't save them from this?"

"No. But, you could help them come to terms with the betrothal. I'm sure if you talked to them and explained the situation, they'd be more..."

"Cooperative?" She pursed her lips together in an angry line. "I want to save them from this. Not take away their fire and tell them to give in. They are Requinas women! They don't give in to-"

"They have to this time."

The siblings looked at each other hard and long in the face. Henry looked away first, finally pulling that bottle of whiskey from his desk draw.

"You shouldn't have agreed." Vivian hissed, lashing out to let her anger known, despite the fact that it wouldn't make any difference now. "I'll have one of those." She dragged a chair over from the fireplace to sit opposite her King and brother. He pulled out two tumblers from the same draw, and poured them both a triple measure. Vivian shared a desperate look with her brother, and for once he drank his drink at the same rate that she did. In one go. "Riana would be turning in her grave now if she knew what you'd done to-"

"I know!" He brought the tumbler down on the desk with such power it smashed in his hands and shards scattered across the desk.

They both stared at Henry's hand, littered with slivers of glass and blood trickling in thin rivers from his palms to the desk. Her breath seemed to catch in her throat as the man before her finally broke down before her, tears slugging down his face and his hands shaking. "She would hate me for this. All I have in this world are my daughters and you. You fight me at every turn, and my daughters will never forgive me for this." He sobbed harder as his sister's hands took his injured one and started tending to it. He held his face in his other hand and whimpered in his own world of misery. "I'm going to save all of mankind everywhere from being hunted forever, which should be the greatest achievement any King has ever made for his people." He winced and cried as Vivian pulled the shards of glass out with tweezers, pulled a long piece of his arm sleeve off with one hard tug and wrapped his hand in it. "But all I can think about is the fact that I'll have lost my daughters forever. Riona used to smile all the time. Just like her mother. Now she turns away from me with that sad look in her eyes."

"Pull yourself together Henry." She softened, deciding to keep her anger to herself. She wasn't the King. She didn't have to make the life or death decision, not like Henry. How could you really judge someone making that choice? Vivian realised just what a toll this decision had taken on the man. He wore all his emotional baggage around his eyes, his skin was pale, and his tears stung his cheeks with his pain.

She finished wrapping up his hand and ran a hand through his blonde curtains.

"I wanted to hate you for this. But I understand this was a hard decision. I don't know what I would have done in your place...now I think about it. I'm not going to promote this to the girls. But I am going to look out for their best interests." Henry sniffled and looked up at his dear strong armed sister. "Has the contract already been agreed or is it in draft form, or...?"

"Ah, yes. The terms of the betrothal." Henry wiped his uninjured hand over his face to dry his tears and sniffled heavily. "It is custom within the Yautja mating traditions for the parents to choose the pair, and the involved parties to come to an agreement for their coupling."

"Translation?" She cocked her head to one side and raised a brow, clearly not in the mood for political mumbo jumbo.

"Hult'ah and I arranged the betrothals. But it's up to my daughter's and their future hus-mates to write up their own agreements for what their...marriage will entail."

"So the girls get to set the terms?" Henry was about to nod and agree, when he recognised the fiery sparks in her metallic steely blue eyes, and the conniving curve to her ruby lips. "Excellent."

"Vivian, if you even _think_ you're going to interfere with the girls and their betrothals then-"

"I wouldn't call it interfering brother." She giggled, and tucked some of his messy blonde locks behind his ears. "I'd call it...looking out for my niece's best interests. Coaching them, even. If they're going to be forced into this, they might as well get the best deal possible." She put a finger to her brother's lips as he opened his mouth to whine at her. "Ah ah ah, brother. You asked me to help. So I'm _helping_. Now..." she pulled his desk draw open and pulled out another tumbler. "...let's drink to the Requinas family health and happiness." She poured them another drink, helped her flabbergasted brother bring the liquor to his lips, and giggled with mischief.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter

"Right, morning girls!" the door to Rose's room flew open with such a force they banged the walls at either side. Vivian Requinas stomped into the room like a woman on a mission. She sped right past the bed with both her nieces stirring grumpily in it, over to the curtains and ragged them open. "What a lovely morning." She pushed open one of the windows and took a deep breath. "Just smell that fresh morning air."

"Aunty V?" Riona sat up and rubbed her eyes. Rose resorted to pulling the blanket over her head and hoping her aunt would go away and let her sleep. "What time is it?"

"Early enough for the birds to sing, early enough for us to get to work. Now up up up!" Vivian clipped the back of her boots together and waved her hands at them to get up. She had knee high heel boots one and a black cotton jump suit. It was sexy but practical. It framed her figure without clinging to tightly to her limps, so movement would be fluid and elegant. Her sleeves from the elbows downwards became baggy, but leather gloves bound the sleeves to her wrists and the boots. She wore a leather belt around her middle with four long daggers attached to each hip in pairs.

"Work?" Riona was still groggy with sleep as she slumped out of bed and hobbled over to the wash room. "What in the stars do you mean?" she jumped as her Aunt appeared behind her and shoed her into the bathroom.

"Oh yes. Lots of work. I'll bring the servants in to fill up the tub and wash you. Now you!" Vivian rounded on her heels and put her hands on her hips. She glared at the bed, which stayed as still as possible. "Rose."

"Not yet. Sleepy."

"Rose. Up, or I'll pour the water onto you in bed. And then you'll be cold." A head of dark brown hair peered moodily out of the bed.

"Aunty Vivian, you _are_aware you are quite evil?"

"Yes. Quite." she smirked her ruby lips at the girl, her steel eyes locking onto the emerald ones of her niece and urged her with a look to throw herself from the comfy confides of the bed and join her sister in the bathroom. "Good girls."

Vivian sat at the dresser table and watched as the servants brought in the buckets of water into the Princess's room and waited.

Now, this may on the face of it may look quite primitive. However, it definitely wasn't. Their race respected the ways of old, taking their heritage seriously in the way they acted, socialised, conducted themselves in high society and the way they dressed. They still made advancements in technology however. Their weaponry were all plasma based, as was their city and ship shields, and the water being carted into the royal baths were bacteria rich broths. They were genetically engineered to live in a nutrient rich liquid that resembled water and released specific proteins that clean the skin and rejuvenate it. Women who bathed in it all their lives lived longer and looked younger longer. The reason the water had to be transported is due to the live span of the broth, and the fact that they are easily killed when pumped through piping or when the temperature is too high.

Vivian touched up her blonde French plats on her head, liking how bad ass and demonic the two ridges on her head made her look. The plats laid over her breasts with silver bolts in the ends below her bust. She inclined her head towards the bathroom as the two girls emerged in their white fluffy bathrobes.

They looked so innocent, and yet so very all consumed with worry as they silently dried their hair; the servants dabbing their skin dry.

Vivian brushed her finger tips over the hilts of her ornate daggers. It was permissible to be armed, technically, but illegal in all the kingdoms to be violent, cause violence and if you were even _caught training..._you would be arrested and the maximum sentence per offence could be up to 20 years!

Vivian couldn't help but feel a little disgusted by this law. It was brought in 300 years ago to try and make human kind less 'attractive' to the Yautja to hunt. It had been hell to enforce to start with, but facing the alternative the kingdoms soon fell in line. She also thought of her brother, King Requinas. He was such a hypocrite. He knew full well that Vivian was a trained assassin, and that she had been training her nieces to defend themselves. But he ignored his own family.

Despite the law against fighting and violence, the Yautja hadn't stopped hunting humans.

The second kingdom was targeted the most, as they unofficially ignored the laws and bans for the most part. They always were the rebel state. That's why Vivian loved living there. Freedom always had its risks.

The Yautja hunted human kind as they knew that regardless what laws or rules were passed by civilised leaders, in the end every human would fight to their last breath to survive. It was human nature to fight.

Vivian curved her lips into a set crimson smile for her nieces as they dressed into elegant petticoats. Rose wore a deep royal blue, with long gloves to her elbows, and Riona wore sun kissed yellow with her arms bare.

The aunt looked at her nieces through her fixed smile and wept for them internally. The girls didn't notice anything past the smile, as they allowed their maids to curl and pin their hair to their heads. Just as Riona's hair was about to be fixed in place, she stopped her maid, and asked to keep her hair down today in waves.

Vivian chuckled. This was probably the first time Riona actually cared how she looked. She usually just followed suit with her sister.

Vivian yawned into her hand and hoped it wouldn't take much longer for the girls to get ready. She didn't sleep much last night. All she could think about was her brother and this whole betrothal nightmare.

She could almost understand why he agreed to it. Hult'ah looked to be a 'man' that didn't accept no for an answer. He was a Yautja. He could have slit her brother's weedy little throat before he'd finished saying N of No. And the prospect of ending all hunting on human planets was far too important for the survival of mankind to pass up on. all this, in exchange for two marriages.

She wished it was someone else's nieces, but alas this was usually the fate of princesses. Married for the benefit of the kingdom, rather than for love.

What she couldn't forgive was her brother's cowardly nature. He had accepted this fate for his daughters, and not bothered to tell them until they were face to face with their future _monstrous_ husbands...

_If he had told them about it, they could have prepared! They could have been warned. They could have been trained to be perfect wives to their husbands, and how to negotiate for fair terms in return. Now they are behind the game, they have no idea what being a Yautja's bride __actually__ means, and they've started on bad terms with their future husbands. How will they ever get that back? How can I help them start anew?_

_Damn it brother if you had at least told __me__ then __I__ could have dealt with them __for__ you_

"Aunty?" Vivian flinched in her chair and blinked at her nieces. Apparently they had been talking to her. "You looked deep in thought?"

"I was child." She smiled and winked at her beloved nieces. "You both look very beautiful." Vivian rose to her feet and brought some of Riona's gorgeous mahogany locks over her shoulders. "Your hair looks lovely. You should wear it down more often. It frames your face like a pretty picture." Riona beamed a smile and took her Aunt's hand. The blonde black sheep held her other hand out for her eldest niece to take, which she did.

She then walked them out of their rooms to the garden.

It was a mild day today.

Not overly sunny, or windy. Just pleasant enough to get a bit of fresh air. "Now darlings." Vivian took a deep breath and braced herself. "I spent hours last night talking to your father and thinking on the matter for every possible outcome there could be, and I think we can all agree that this betrothal _must_ go ahead." She purposely locked her steely eyes with Rose, quelling any rebellion that was bubbling there. "The Yautja princes will _never_ dishonour their father, and you must go ahead with this betrothal, or every human death that occurs at the end of a Yautja blade will be your fault."

Both of the girls stumbled to a stop, halting their Aunt with them. But she remained tall and determined in her mission, and pulled them back into a steady walk. "No one wants that. I will however not excuse the manner in which this has been handled. You should have been told when you were young, so you had the time to prepare. Do research. Put together a list of marital demands."

"Daddy dearest didn't have the stones to tell us."

"As I was saying." Vivian snapped, startling Rose back into silence.

Vivian really was the only one capable of disciplining the head strong Requinas heir. "You have been disadvantaged by this lack of information and have started your marital relations _very badly._"

"You can say that again." Riona chuckled nervously and clung to her beloved aunt's arm.

"However, I have a plan." Vivian allowed them to halt by a lovely stone bench and lowered Riona to sit on it. "See there?" Riona looked to her side and saw a DHP (digital hand pad). "You are going to spend some time making a list of things you must have in your marriage, things you'd like to have, and things you would be willing to trade or compromise on. You have an hour to do this. Then I will send Daijuta to you." At that Riona bristled and blinked with wide jade eyes at her aunt.

"You're going to _send _him to me? Alone?"

"No she-"

"Yes, I am." Vivian grasped her ebony haired rebellious niece to prevent her from taking her sister's side. "It is custom within the Yautja culture, apparently, for the betrothed to agree their _own_ terms. With no interference from parents, guardians-" her steely eyes captured Rose's angry glare "-or siblings."

"But!"

"And you will do the same thing. Elsewhere. Good luck Riona!" she started to _drag_ Rosemary away, when she stopped and grinned to her youngest bewildered niece. "Oh, one last tip. I would make him agree to a maximum and a minimum number of conjugal visits per week. I would say, at least once, and no more than three times a week. That way you will be able to have children, without being too sore all the time. Good bye!"

"Vivian Requinas!" Rose hissed at her aunt as she dragged down the garden to a large mahogany gazebo by the river. Vivian pushed her niece into it, and stood in the doorway. "You're supposed to be helping us!" Rose stomped her foot and threw her arms out desperately. "Not them!"

"Like I said. I looked at every other option we had, and saw none. People will die Rosy. Could you really live with that?" She folded her arms over her shoulder and closed her jade eyes. Rose shook her head with despair. "No. I didn't think any daughter of Riana could." Vivian sighed sadly and pointed to the DHP on the table. "Make your list darling. You have an hour. I suggest-"

Rose sank into the chair and held her face as she sobbed. Her shoulders shook, and she couldn't stop the tears flowing. "Oh sweetie." Her icy walls melted and the blonde woman ran to her whimpering mess of a niece. She held her shoulders and embraced her. "It will be alright. I won't lie to you and say it won't be hard to start with. It will. But you are so strong Rosy. Like your mother. Like me."

"What about Riona?" water jade eyes lifted up with a desperate question. "She isn't strong."

"I think you need to give her more credit than that. Strength comes in many forms. And besides." Vivian smiled with watery steel eyes. "She's a Requinas woman. It's in her blood." Rose sniffled and nodded, picking up the DHP and stared at it hopelessly. "I-well-I would do the same as I advised Riona. About the...conjugal visits..."

Rose sniffled back her tears and wiped her face with one hand.

"I-I want to be alone for a while please."

"Of course. You have an hour until I send Raijuta to you."

Vivian stood outside the guestroom door and knocked three times.

She waited and when the door opened she put on her strong don't-fuck-with-me smirk.

Hult'ah stared down at her with blatant confusion.

"Ooman? You have business with me?"

"Ah, yes, we haven't been introduced yet. I am..._Lady_ Vivian Requinas."

"Requinas?" He opened the door wider and ducked his head, exiting the room through a doorway that was _clearly_ not designed for a Yautja of his height. "Are you related to Henry?"

"Yes." She put her hands on her hips and nodded quickly. "In fact I am his bastard sister. Aunt and godmother to Riona and Rosemary Requinas. I'd like to talk to you about moving this betrothal along?"

He didn't even blink at her. His scared mandibles parted with a proud smile.

"Finally. Someone who speaks my language!" his voice boomed from his chest, matching his colossal form perfectly. "Come inside..._must _I call you by your full name?" Vivian chuckled and folded her arms over her chest.

"In fact, I'd dislike you if you did. Vivian is perfectly fine." She walked towards him, following him into the guest room. She scanned it out of habit, seeing he'd (somehow) transported his own bed into it, and many other Yautja knick-knacks. The bed was the size of a room on its own. It was covered with thick brown fur with random white patches on it. the Headboard had long black set of spiralling horns framing it, with dark wood for the bed frame and thick fury cushions. A very luxurious bed. You could tell a lot about a man by his bedroom.

Her steal blue eyes came to rest on a large pair of split Chakram hung on the wall. They were clearly used as melee weapons, rather than for throwing, as the handles looked very heavy and designed for firm grip. "And you are Hult-arr?"

"High Arbitrator Hult'ah of the united clans council." Vivian halted on the spot and raised a brow back at him.

"I thought _I_ had a long title."

"Hult'ah will of course suffice."

"Good." She pulled out a chair at the lunch table and sat with one leg crossed elegantly over the other. "I know we haven't met, but I became informed of the..._recently revealed _sequence of events and I think the best result for all parties involved is to rip off the bandage and get straight to it."

"Finally." Hult'ah sat on the end of the circular fury bed with one elbow on his knee, the other hand gesturing as he spoke. "I am honoured to meet you Vivian of the Requinas clan. I hope as our families join we may become friends also."

"Indeed." She cleared her throat, playing along for now. She had no interest in being nicey nice. In fact, the sooner she got this conversation over and done with the better. "I have my nieces writing out a list of things they must have in their betrothal agreement, some things they would like, and some things they would be willing to compromise on."

"Ah, that is good. It should be the mates that make the agreements."

"Yes Henry did say."

"And the girls..." Hult'ah waved his hand in the air. "...have come round to the betrothal?"

"Yes." She blinked coolly."

"Just like that?" his dreads fell forward as he cocked his head in disbelief, causing the light to shimmer as it hit the silver bolts littered through his 'hair'. "You turn up over night, and the girls agree to the betrothal?"

"I explained to them their duties as a princess and highlighted what the consequences of refusing the betrothal would be."

There was a silence between them.

Vivian had her arms folded and her ice queen business face on. Hult'ah was keeping his cards close to his sleeve as well, stroking his lower mandibles.

"You seem to be someone whom I can deal with. I have grown fond of Henry, but he doesn't get results. You clearly do."

"Quite." She pressed her crimson lips together then smacked them with annoyance. "Speaking of results. I have told my nieces that they have an hour to get their 'lists' together before I..._send_ your sons to go and meet them. I suggest you instruct them to make a list of-"

"They already have. We were just waiting for the girls to come round. I can send them now if you-"

"No." Vivian rose to her feel and put a hand on her hip. "They need time to come to terms and write their terms. In an hour, or just under than they should be ready to see your sons and hopefully become engaged."

"I see." Hult'ah inclined his head curiously at her, again. He seemed to be analysing her all over. It made her very uncomfortable.

So Vivian did what Vivian did best.

"Well that's quite enough of that for one day. I'll be going now to watch over events." She rose to her feet and made a quite escape through the door. As she did so, a large clawed hand grabbed her shoulder.

Her knees bent.

Her body sank down to a squat.

Her body swivelled on the pads of her feet.

She tensed her legs and rose to her feel height, parallel to him and an inch from his body.

In the same fluid motion she had slipped a dagger from each hip, raised her arms and held the tip of the blades against his back.

Over his kidneys.

Her sharp steely eyes had his amber ones locked into place.

Hult'ah however felt her movements, and had wrapped both his colossal hands around her neck. One decisive squeeze would snap her spine.

They stared into each other's eyes, both startled by the chance of events.

"Withdraw if you know what's good for you."

"You first."

Silence.

"I only wished to stop you leaving. I have many questions for you."

"You should never put your hands on a Sicarius without their permission."

"I do not know what that means." Hult'ah made sure his grip on her wasn't too tight to make her panic, as although he fancied his chances, the potential for a fatal wound in this surprising position was not something he wanted to tempt. _What a surprising Ooman._

"It means I react automatically to unexpected contact as an attack and act accordingly."

"So...nothing personal?"

"No. But I'm not backing off until your hands are-"

Hult'ah withdrew his hands and held them up for her to see. That wasn't the thing that unnerved her.

It was the fact that he was...laughing? Was that what he was doing? some sort of metallic trilling noise was coming out his mouth and his shoulders were bouncing with mirth. "Good."

Vivian slowly caressed his skin with her blades, tracing the tips around his hips and to the front. _Then_ she stepped back and put her daggers back in their sleeves on her belt.

He was still laughing at her, and she couldn't be more uncomfortable with that. No man had ever laughed at her when they had been near death by her hands. "You Yautja are very different from us." He stopped laughing then, and lowered arms to cross over his front.

"Yes. And you from us. Then again, that exchange made me feel like I was back on Yautja Prime." He sighed happily, and shook his head. Vivian couldn't hide the look of confusion in her grey eyes. "My home world."

"Oh. Get threatened a lot at home?"

"Only by females who like me." He barked a laugh, and only stopped when he realised that Vivian didn't get the joke. "I wish to impart information about my kind, and my culture to you. You can then share this with Rose and Riona." Hult'ah raised a hand to grab on her shoulder, then hovered it there and watched her face.

"Alright, if you behave." He chuckled and allowed the hand to drop onto her shoulder and shook it. "I said behave!" She hissed, which just seemed to amuse him even more. To her _great_ displeasure.

"In my culture, this gesture is one of a friendly nature."

"...fine..." She didn't like being so close to a potential enemy. But every time she tried to walk off, he used his long (really long) stride to keep up with her. really she didn't know how she wasn't running to catch up with him with how tall he was. Perhaps he had trained himself to walk slowly after all these years of being 'friends' with Henry?

"Now where to start!" He spread his lower mandibles happily and leaned over, as if afraid she couldn't hear his booming voice. "You know of our need to hunt in our society."

"Yes, got that." Vivian rolled her eyes to one side. Not at him. She didn't dare. Truth be told she was pretty intimidated at how quickly he had his hands around her throat when she reacted to his grabbing hands. _Imagine what he could do if he was thinking about attacking you..._

"Well there are many uses and function of a hunt and the trophies collected."

"Are we going to inform your sons to go and meet my girls in about...40 minutes?"

"We'll get to that. First, I will tell you about the roles of men and women in my culture." Vivian released a deep sigh. This dangerous jolly giant was going to gnaw her ear off.

"...Yay..."


	9. Chapter 9

"Right." Riona didn't know what time it was. She'd gone over her list over and over again. It wasn't very long. And the word love had been added and removed so many times. That and children.

The must haves included regular visits to or from her family. She was not to be a slave, and he wasn't allowed to force her to do 'anything'. Not without explaining why it was important. Then she might change her mind. But she had to agree to it.

_That sounds stupid._ Riona put the DHP down and held her throbbing temples. _I know nothing about his culture. I can't exactly make demands if I don't know what to demand or refuse. _

"I wonder how Rosy's doing." She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. A soft smile traced her lips. _I wonder if he'll notice I've got my hair down?_ She snapped her head up and blinked at herself. _Why would I care if he notices?_ "I wish he'd just get here so we can get this finished. It's been an hour, surely."

She didn't have to wait long.

Like he had been summoned by her sheer thought, Daijuta walked slowly towards her from the castle. He wore a different outfit today. He wore thick brown leather sandals that extended up his legs like boots, covered in what looked like wolf fur. They stopped just above his knees, like armour would naturally sit onto of it if need be. He then had two furry side panels of fur strapped to his outer thighs. His belt was made if thick brown leather, with an ornate cross arrow head buckle. He wore a hanging cloth made of brown leather and a covering of silver fur, front and back with matching arm guards. His cloak was thick and again, of course, made out of thick silver fur. It fell just short of his ankles, and he seemed to be huddling under it. before he could say anything to her, she addressed him. "Cold?"

"Very." He dropped onto the bench next to her and turned to her. "You?"

"Oh, I'm fine."

"Because I could share my cloak with you if you're cold."

"No, I'm fine."

They both looked ahead of them awkwardly. Daijuta held the cloak around him, making him look like a shivering ball of fur. It actually lightened the mood when Riona noticed this, as she couldn't stop giggling at him.

"What?"

"You look so funny like that."

"But I'm cold."

"I know! I just." She took a deep breath and calmed herself. She was still smiling when she turned to look at him again. His bright amber eyes seemed to be smiling back at her. "A furball isn't very scary."

"You should never find me scary Riona."

Oh yes, because they were to be married. That brought Riona back to the task at hand. She cleared her throat and picked up her DHP. "You have...agreed to be my mate."

"It is my duty as a princess to marry whomever my father, the King, chooses for me." She forced a smile, but still stared at her DHP. "I have to admit, making up my own terms has proven to be difficult."

"I could go first if that's easier." She looked up into the cream and brown face, and those kind amber eyes and couldn't help the soft smile on her rosy lips.

"Yes, please."

"Well." He shuffled on the stone bench rather cutely (in her head) and shivered (also cute in her head) and exposed his wrist bracer to the mild day air. He darted the other hand out to press a sequence of buttons, and then retracted it. a red hologram hovered above the bracer with what she assumed to be his list. Could have been pretty chicken scratch for all she could discern. "You can't interfere with my training or my hunts. I'm going to put myself forward very soon to become an Elite warrior, which is a critical part of my career."

"Oh, yes I understand." She gulped. At least she knew he wouldn't be hunting humans anymore, as per the agreement. "Your career is important."

"I would of course cancel any hunt or training session if you were ill, or birthing." Her cheeks burned at that. He leaned closer to her, causing his ebony dreads to fall forward. "Then I would be by your side. And I have also taken the liberty of cancelling my upcoming hunts for the next month. So I can help you settle in."

"That is very kind of you. Thank you." She put the DHP down and fumbled with her hands awkwardly. He'd mentioned birthing, so she better clarify this now. "Speaking of birth and such."

"Yes." She jumped. He had shuffled closer to her. Riona looked up into his liquid gold eyes. She definitely had his full attention. He was hanging on her every word.

"Well...erm...that is I wanted to get clarification on..." He reached forward with two clawed fingers and pushed a curly lock of chocolaty hair out of her eyes. "...erm..."

"So this is what you look like. With no contraptions in your hair or mental walls up."

Floored.

Her train of thought, her consciousness, her ability to speak had just crashed into the side of her skull. The wreckage was immense. She was reduced to staring up at him with blushing cheeks. Riona stared up at his kind face and lowered her gaze to his outstretched hand.

Then her voice came back with a bang.

"Sex."

"Pardon?"

"We need to agree to have sex-I mean how much sex-I mean."

She snapped her face into her hands. "I am going to die of embarrassment."

"I hope not." He chuckled. Daijuta lifted her chin and gently persuaded her to look up from her hands. "In my culture sex is a common part of life and conversation. I am not embarrassed, so you don't need to be." He said in such a way that it was both matter of fact, without being arrogant or patronising. It was simply the truth. "Now I'm not sure what you mean by _how much_ sex?"

"If you agree to have at least conjugal visit a week then I can guarantee children in my future."

"Does conju-whatever mean sex?" Daijuta clicked his right mandibles together curiously. She nodded. "Then yes."

"Right and maximum number per week should be-"

"No." She snapped her gaze to look at him and opened her mouth to argue. "I understand a need for a minimum number, to guarantee procreation. But I will not have a maximum one. We could be having sex multiple times a day once we become comfortable with each other. So no, I won't accept a maximum. Under any circumstances."

Riona's lips trembled. She fisted her hands on her lap and looked about ready to bolt for the castle.

"You-you can't force me to-"

"Force?!" he barked at her, making her flinch. He closed his eyes, took a breath and started again. "I would never force you to do _anything_ you didn't want to do. Sex or otherwise."

"...you swear?"

"On my blood." He then shuffled on the spot and pulled her under his arm and the cloak. She tensed up at first, putting her hands on his side to push him back, but he made it clear with his firm grip that that endeavour would _not_ be successful. His colossal hand held the furry cloak to her shoulder. She sat there and looked up at him with worried green eyes. "I swear to you I will never force myself onto you. Ever." She allowed his searing body heat to calm her, and she actually leaned into his embrace. It allowed him to enwrap her in the cloak further.

"...thank you. I...I'd also like to see my family."

"I have my own ship. I can bring you back here, and Rose will be on the mother ship with us."

"Right."

"Anything else?" She looked ahead and sighed.

"...I couldn't think of anything else. You?"

"I want to have children. Not straight away. But in the next few years."

"Ok."

"And I want to be mated either tonight or tomorrow night."

"Mated? You mean married?" She huddled closer to his body heat. It was strange how soothing it was to be close to him... Riona leaned against him and closed her eyes. "We couldn't possibly get the castle ready and invite all the guests in time for tonight or tomorrow night. Next month maybe."

"Guests?" Daijuta trilled softly, watching the smaller woman curl up against him like a Nyoka pup. "I hardly want anyone watching when I claim you." Daijuta leaned over her and whispered into her hair. The scent of his Dai-shui must be calming her, the way she melted against him.

"But there will be an outcry if we have a private wedding." Her voice was soft, as if she was trying to fight the urge to sleep in his arms. "Almost as much as if anyone saw me alone with you right now. A lady should never be alone with a man that isn't her husband." she giggled, and looked just about ready to purr she was that comfortable.

Daijuta's mandibles clicked together once, just once. He wanted to hold her like this for a little while longer, with her so content in his embrace. Something he had yet to experience with his betrothed. But he also couldn't ignore that fact that she didn't understand just what he meant by 'claiming' her.

"To become life mates, we must first mate."

He waited for her reaction. At first he wondered if she'd just fallen to sleep and not heard him. Then her head lifted up to hold a confused, open mouthed expression.

"When you say _mate_, do you mean-"

"Pauking." Her expression didn't change. "Oh, I mean sex." Her body stiffened and she sat bolt upright. "We make vows to each other and we will be mated through the most physical act of joining there is."

"You _can't_ be serious?!" Riona was definitely awake again now. her eyes were wide, cheeks red and expression startled. Oh if her governess could _hear_ the conversation they were having, she'd have a fit. "You said tonight?!"

"Yes. And I swear to you I will be gentle. I-" Riona shoved herself away from him so hard she fell to the floor. "Riona there is no need to be-"

"You CANNOT have sex with me until we are married!" Riona scrambled to her feet and looked about ready to faint her face was that red. "It would be _scandal_ to-"

"Stop." Daijuta barked. He rose to his feet in one swift motion and looked down at her. She was immediately silenced. He was quite intimidating when he wanted to be. Those kind amber eyes could be molten gold when they narrowed down at you. "We are to be joined in the way of my people. You are to live amongst my people. This is what our fathers agreed when we were betrothed. My people have joined as life partners through the act of mating through their vows to each other since the time before the Gods. There is no _scandal_ or _guests_ or planning of any kind involved." He lifted one of his hands from the confines of his cloak and pointed at her with a sharp talon. "There will be you, me, a bed and our vows. It will be for as long as we both live. Only through death will we be free to choose another."

"I..."

Riona opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to figure out what to say.

"Would you not give your body to your Ooman mate at the end of your Ooman ceremony to bind yourselves together anyway?"

"Well, yes." She gulped, fussing her hands together before her and this mass of a man.

"Then all that is any different is the ceremony you Oomans have first." He looked down at his little mate to be, and saw the fear in her jade eyes. He was scaring her. All he did was raise his voice, and she looked terrified. Her emerald eyes were wide; her body heat had shot up, as had her heart beat, and her breathing. She looked so tense; she would have surely fallen over if he poked her.

Daijuta took a deep breath, and returned to his seated position on the bench. He even faked a shiver under his cloak, to try and calm her once more.

He could see it working. her shoulders dropped to a relaxed position, and she looked to be contemplating sitting next to him again. "Tonight or tomorrow night I will come to you room. I will escort you to my ship and my bedchamber. I will be gentle and we can take our time, but we _will_ be joined."

Riona gulped. She could see Hult'ah's stubbornness looking at her through his son's eyes.

Well why wouldn't he be determined now? She'd agreed to his terms hadn't she? With a ceremony as low budget, low key, and intimate as...'that'...why would he wait any longer?

"I...understand." Riona looked to his feet. She wrapped one arm around her middle and let the other one hang by her side. "Of course."

"You understand?" Daijuta saw that her gaze was directed at his feet and not his face. "Then look me in the eyes and tell me which night I'm coming to mate with you."

Her eyes took little time to find his, but her voice was nowhere to be found. What a big request? She had to tell him which night to come into her room, take her off to his bed, and _claim_ her? How was she expected to do that? The only options he gave her were tonight, and tomorrow night. That hardly gave her any time to prepare herself. "Riona?"

"Tonight." She felt a lump lodge itself in her throat the moment the word leapt from her lips.

"Good." Daijuta rose to his feet again and quickly closed the gap between them. "I shall come to you tonight."

"Yes."

Riona had looked to the ground again, but when she realised he was still stood there she couldn't help but look up at him curiously. What else could he possibly want from her?

"It is tradition for you to kiss me." He hesitantly lowered his face to hers. Just close enough so she could feel the heat of his breath on her face, but not taste it. "To show your willingness."

"Oh." She pursed her lips together and looked at his face. Her cheeks burned at the prospect of kissing a man. She'd never kissed anyone but her father and sister before. And then there was the man himself. Riona looked at the face that was now so close to her inspecting eyes, and felt very uncomfortable.

_Where do I kiss him?_

His mouth was so different to hers, she didn't know 'where to start'. She remembered what he'd said about Yautja using their mandibles for every job she used lips for, bar eating, but _still_ didn't know where to start. Did she press her lips to the lower or the upper ones? Did she hold them in one place or brush her lips along them? How did Yautja kiss?

"It's alright." Daijuta straightened up and wrapped himself tighter in his cloak. "It is tradition, but not necessary. I will see you later."

"But-"

He was gone.

Before she could reach out and grab onto his cloak, he rippled into nothingness. _So that's how they sneak up on people. They can turn invisible._ "...I was going to do it..."

Now she felt ashamed.

Riona dropped onto the stone bench and held herself. She'd caught a glimpse of something very sad in his eyes as he pulled away from her. He must have read her hesitation as disgust or something equally terrible. She just didn't know _what_ to do.

And the worrying thing is, she'd better get it right tonight since they were actually going to...

_Do it._

Riona shook her head and smacked herself mentally. She was nearly 17. She knew how men and women had sex, or at least the mechanics of it. but she'd never kissed a man before. And certainly not a man without lips.

"Well that could have gone better." Riona nearly jumped out of her skin with aunty dearest appeared before her. She'd been so lost in her thoughts she hadn't noticed the blonde woman approach her.

"Yes. It could have."

Oh, now Riona was uncomfortable. Aunty V wasn't alone...

Hult'ah, donning a cloak very similar to his son, except the fur was dark brown, stood behind Vivian with his arms folded and his face stern. "That was very rude." Riona gulped up at him. Poppa bear was not happy. "That was-"

"I will deal with this." Vivian stepped between Hult'ah and her trembling niece, facing Poppa bear with her full force ice bitch face. Her arms folded over the front of her black jump suit, her stance strong, and her glare unwavering.

"Well you better!" He barked down at the blonde woman. "She _refused_ to kiss my son! She has shown us great disrespect by-"

"I didn't refuse!" Riona ran forward, only to collide with the back of her protective aunt. "I didn't! I just..." her cheeks burned. She didn't know how to explain this without it being an insult, and she hadn't expected the need to explain herself like this.

_Wait...how long have they been watching?_

"You what Riona?" The younger woman jerked back to reality when she realised her aunty was looking over her shoulder at her. "Tell me." Riona released a defeated whimper and whispered into her aunt's ear. "Oh. I see. Well that's alright then."

"What is?" Hult'ah growled, looking about ready to lose his temper.

"Riona go to your room. I'll join you once I've checked on your sister and help you prepare for tonight."

"Yes Aunty."

Hult'ah didn't stop the princess from leaving, and kept his stern gaze on the woman he'd spent the last hour pouring his culture's history into.

"Well? What _excuse_ has your niece come up with?"

"A very simple one." Vivian fisted her hands on her hips and released a very un-amused put-upon sigh. "Before I explain, know this. I am making no such advances on you in any light."

_Advances?_ His anger curbed itself at this. What was she about to do that he could take as being an 'advance' on him? if anything he went on an even higher state of alert. "Well? You gone deaf"

"No. Continue..." He cautiously watched her approach him with that same pissy expression in her steely eyes and crimson lips. she halted a little _too_ close to him for his liking.

"If you were to kiss me right now, how would you do it?"

"...Seriously?" Hult'ah raised a brow at the woman sceptically, and thought she might be making fun of him. "By pressing my mouth to yours."

"Ok. How?" Vivian put one of her hands on his chest and lifted her icy stare up at him. She was so cold, yet her eyes were scorching, burning a dare into his mind. "How would you kiss me Hult'ah?"

"...I just said-"

"I have lips, you have mandibles. What would you put _where_?"

"..."

"And that!" Vivian used the hand on his chest to push herself away from him and towards the other side of the garden. "Is exactly how long Daijuta gave Riona to kiss him. less, probably." She stopped, hands on her hips and looked over at him with a snarky smirk, her French plats whipping round as she did. "So, you see? It wasn't that she didn't _want_ to kiss Daijuta. She just didn't know how to do it. And your son is about as patient as _you_ are."

What she expected was a pissed off arbitrator, yelling how inappropriate that whole thing was, and how it didn't matter, Riona should have just kissed his son anyway.

What she actually got was that man..._laughing...again_...it was really unnerving.

"I see!" he trilled, and quickly caught her up. He dropped his hand onto her shoulder, shaking it slightly again.

_Damn it, what will it take to piss this bastard off?!_ "So, Vivian, what will you tell your pups to do when you coach them on kissing my pups?" he barked, finding the whole thing amusing. Vivian narrowed her gaze forward even more. She almost wanted to say that her nieces were _not_ pups, or dogs or any other kind, but bit her tongue.

"How do your kind kiss?" he chuckled again. "It _really_ isn't that funny!" she hissed, stomping her foot.

There was a moment when Hult'ah's dark eyes locked onto hers, and she questioned whether even being frustrated in front of him was a good idea. But he did what he usually did. He laughed it off and shook her shoulder. Like she was an amusing child.

That pissed her off even more!

"Well, we caress each other with our mandibles." Vivian couldn't help but look up at him as they walked together.

_Do I ask? Do I ask what the __fuck__ are mandibles, and are they those crab leg looking things on his face? Do I? Do I...? _

The question, or a lighter version of the question, must have been visible in her eyes as he pointed to said 'crab legs on his face'.

"When you say 'caress', do you mean you brush them together? Slide them? Grind them?"

"Grind?!" he snickered at that. "They _are_ attached to our face. The action of kissing is delicate."

"How boring." She snickered, despite herself. "Nothing beats a passionate snog." Vivian chuckled dirtily...then remembered who her company was.

"We Yautja may be gentle when kissing, but we are far from when pauking!" he laughed deep in his belly and smacked her back with mirth. A lesser woman would have fallen on her face, but Vivian saw it coming and strengthened her stance. She only wobbled a little.

"I assume that pauking is the same as fucking?" she smirked up at him. this was quite nice actually. To have a man talk to her like she was an equal. She always considered herself to be one of the lads when it came to fighting and fucking, but they never treated her the same way. Something about being a lady or some bullshit.

"Most likely." Hult'ah chuckled to himself, his upper and lower right mandibles clicking with mirth. "Ah the sleepless nights my pups have had from their mother and I pauking until the early hours of the morning." He reminisced happily.

"Is Mrs Hult'ah on Yautja prime?"

Hult'ah's mandibles parted for only a moment, before he gathered himself again.

"No she passed shortly after Daijuta was born."

"I'm so sorry." She kicked herself. She was just starting to _barely_ enjoy his company, and she went and brought up his dead wife. _Nice move V, real nice. _

"You were not to know. Besides, it is not with sadness that I remember her. she died in a glorious battle." He pulled a small dagger from his waist band. If it wasn't for the sombre tide of the mood, Vivian might have been alarmed. The dagger had what looked like an ivory hilt, littered with red gems and the silver blade was serrated on both sides, and curved on the underside. "One of the fallen on our ship had been impregnated with a Kainde Amedha. The abomination that was spawned from the fallen hunter's chest killed 5 others before my mate cut it into pieces."

"So she won?"

"Yes, and no." Hult'ah signed and stroked the hilt of the dagger sadly. "I was at home with the other pups at the time. Minya was out with Daijuta when the abomination was upon them."

As hard ass as Vivian was, even she realised what had happened, and felt sadness for him. "She cut the abomination down, and was covered in its acidic blood. Minya saved Daijuta, but died many hours later. The extent of her burns were too great to treat." Hult'ah smiled down at Vivian, almost shocked to see a worried look in her sharp steely eyes. "She made her ancestors proud that day, and saved the life of our son. It was an honourable death."

"Right." She forced herself to look ahead of them. If she looked at him any longer, she might not be capable of keeping her stupid emotions in check.

"I imagine if you were to tell your pups that they should gently brush their lips over my sons' lower mandibles, they would do well."  
"Right. I'll do that."

Hult'ah looked down at the blonde haired Ooman.

She was very odd.

He had been friends with Henry for many years now, and never once had he mentioned that he even _had_ a sister. He couldn't imagine why. She was good company. She didn't subscribe to the typical Ooman method of avoiding the issue or hoping it wouldn't come to a head. She wasn't emotional, she apparently a skilled fighter, although he had no idea what a Sicarius was, he'd be sure to ask Henry.

She didn't dress like the other royal 'ladies' around this place. Over the last few years Hult'ah had seen other members of Henry's court, and they all looked to dress very oddly. To him, anyway. They also seemed to be very antisocial, the way they didn't talk to anyone outside of their small friendship circles, and how quickly they would snub someone why their breeding or appearance.

At least Hult'ah finally knew where the girls got their stubborn streak from. Henry was a push over. Vivian was a woman to be reckoned with.

She pretended to be hard as nails, but her softer side was clear to see if you looked into those sharp eyes of hers.

Yes, he would befriend this woman. She seemed to see reason and would be useful in controlling the Requinas girls. Overnight she'd gotten them to agree to the betrothal.

_But how will I control them once we've left their aunt behind...?_

"Holy shit." Hult'ah exited his musings when he saw the body of the eldest princess fly through the air before them.

Raijuta was straight behind her, and they were rolling around on the floor, beating each other with anything and everything they could find.

Only problem was, Raijuta would do much more damage than Rose could.

Vivian and Hult'ah bolted to the sprawling pair and before he could pull his son off, the blonde woman acted.

One hand fisted at his raven dreads. The other hand had a blade to his throat.

Oh yes, she meant business. For the sake of his pup he better get involved right now.

"Get off my niece before I slit your throat. I should-"

A long, heavily serrated blade pressed at _her _neck. Ah yes, Hult'ah wouldn't exactly allow her to kill his son now, would he?


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Get off my niece before I slit your throat. I should-"

A long, heavily serrated blade pressed at _her _neck. Ah yes, Hult'ah wouldn't exactly allow her to kill his son now, would he? She felt the metal pad imbedded in the palm of her glove and moved quickly.

The hand came between the blade and her neck, she pushed it away, the back of the dagger she was holding pelted the back of Raijuta's head and she rolled off to one side. Hult'ah dragged his son to his side, and Vivian stood in front of her trembling niece. "I was only trying to make him get off her. I didn't want to kill him, or I wouldn't have _warned_ him first." She hissed, her steely eyes sharp like her blades, and her crimson lips peeled over her teeth and a snarl. Very lady like. "I am all for getting this betrothal moving, but not and the expense of Rosy's _life_. I will not take _any_ part if marrying her to a beast!"

"Stop your tongue woman!" Hult'ah growled, and fisted the back of his son's head. "You have a _lot_ of explaining to do!"

"She pauking _started _it!" The darker Yautja snarled. "She shouldn't attack me if she can't pauking _defend_ herself!" Hult'ah smacked him upside the head, silencing any words about to leave his idiot son's mouth. It was then Hult'ah saw that Raijuta was nursing his side.

"What is that?" He forced the proud warrior's hand away, and saw he was bleeding. There was a slice in his side. Deep enough to mean intent, but not deep enough to be fatal. It was bleeding steadily however, which was now plain to see now his pup wasn't holding his hand to the wound. "Pauk." Hult'ah allowed his son to apply pressure to the wound again, and commanded him to stay where he was.

He then stormed over the women, accusations and rage at the ready.

He never had a chance.

"YOUR SON TRIED TO FORCE HIMSELF ON MY NIECE!" Hult'ah halted in his place, and looked from the positively seething Vivian, the shivering, bloody mess that was Rose, and his wounded son.

Right, this was messy. "What do you have to say to that?!"

"I need to get my son's wound treated, and you need to tend to you niece. Once they are stable, and we have taken their event of what happened, we shall meet to see how to fix this."

"Fix this?!" Vivian had two long machete's drawn and looked so very eager to use them. "Did you _hear_ me!? He tried to _force_ himself on her! there is no fucking fixing in the _universe_ that will _ever_ fix their 'relationship'."

"No son of mine would _ever_ force himself on a woman."

"I tried to pauking kiss her." Raijuta growled from his stationary position. He wanted to go over there and have his say, but his father would beat him if he came any closer. "As is tradition. She went pauking crazy! _She_ attacked _me_, and I was responding to the challenge."

"Silence!"

Hult'ah could feel a headache coming. This was going to be another one of those misunderstandings in the worse possible way situations. Because Rose was too stubborn and so was his son.

"Keep you pauking son AWAY from Rose." Vivian snarled, then looked over her shoulder and the terrified mess at her feet. "Rose, get up and get to the castle. Now."

She didn't move. "...Rose? Go to the castle."

She didn't move.

Rose didn't blink. She didn't speak. She didn't do anything. She just held sat on the floor, holding her knees to her chest and cried.

Hult'ah took a step forward.

Bad move.

Vivian turned and launched a machete for his head in the same movement. He ducked it, of course, and it imbedded itself deep into the gazebo wall. "No." He looked to her with outraged eyes, then looked to Rose.

The girl was in shock.

The aunt was in a rage.

Nothing good would come from him or his son being here right now.

"We will talk soon."

"Bite me crab face." Hult'ah flinched on the spot. He should punish her for _daring _to speak to him like that. "If I see _him_." she pointed at Raijuta with the other machete. "I will fucking gut him."

"We _will_ talk soon." Hult'ah new better than to turn his back on this enraged woman. The common phrase was there was nothing more dangerous than a wounded animal in a corner.

It was wrong.

There was nothing more dangerous than a woman defending her injured young.

He bowed his head curtly, turned, grabbed his son's shoulder and dragged him far far _far_ away from that explosive situation.

He then proceeded to snarl, hiss, and yell in Raijuta's face whilst the ship doctor cleaned and treated his wound. He grilled his son for every detail of what happened that morning.

Meanwhile Riona sat on the edge of Rose's bed. Her sister hadn't said a word since they dragged her up here. Plenty was being said, however.

"I don't give two flying shits Henry." Riona could hear her father and aunt yelling (mostly Vivian) next door in _her _room. "Rose said one thing to me before she hid in her shell, and that was 'he tried to rape me'. Not, he tried to hurt me, he tried to go too far, no Henry, she said RAPE!" Riona flinched and felt tears fall down her face. "I don't care if the younger one has been as sweet as pie with Riona! Fine, let them be mated, or whatever, but I will not allow Rose to be turned into some abused sex slave for the sake of _anyone_. I'll steal her and take her far far away before I allow that to happen."

"You would really risk war like that?"

"Yes." Riona looked at the wall, trying to see them at that moment. She imagined her father looking shocked, and her aunt looking deathly serious. Probably armed to the teeth too. "And I'd take Riona with me too. That's what I should have done. I should have told the universe to go fuck itself and taken them into the depths of the second kingdom. Or the 5th. Both have fantastic underground cities."

"That isn't funny Vivian."

There was pause, and a shuffling of feet.

"Am I laughing Henry?"

"...we need to focus on damage control now."

"_You _focus on damage control Henry. I'll be busy actually giving a shit about your daughters, shall I?"

"Where are you going?!"

"To give a shit, remember?"

Slam.

Riona didn't have to wait long. The door to her sisters' room opened and stood there, red in the face was her aunt. She looked terrifying.

She'd changed into _that_ outfit.

Black leather boots. Flat, but sleek, with chevron points above her mid thigh. There were silver armour pads attached to her toe cap, shins, knee cap, and the front and sides of her thighs. They were strapped to her with thick black belts.

She wore a long black dress with slits up to her hips. It had a halter neck top, with long sleeves and a cut out circle over her chest.

Her belt had curved armour plates on either hip and many small throwing weapons. Miniature tomahawks, senbon needles, shuriken, and small knuckle dusters with sharp looking spikes on them.

Her shoulder guards matched the rest of her armour. Simple, light, and practical for the purpose they served. They weren't ornate, but they'd block a throwing knife.

She had a kite shaped armour pad on her front, and it linked in to her belt and a circular plate over her cleavage. She also had a matching plate on her back.

Over her long sleeves she had arm guards of similar design. They were plain, but light and effective. Her fingerless gloves had flexible metal plates on the back and palm of her hands.

Her weapons...

A long staff with a small sharp blade at one end, and a disk at the other end, with sharp spikes around the circumference. She also had a pair of machete strapped to her back, and a pair of plasma guns.

Her golden hair was in its usual style. Two French plats with high ridges on her head. She had black face paint smeared like a band over her eyes and the ridge of her nose. Her lips were also black.

_Aunty V looks scary when she's in her uniform._

Riona wasn't as naive as everyone thought she was. She _knew_ her aunty was a member of the Sicarius. An elite and ancient group of assassins from every walk of life. They were very few, as there was only one thing you could do to _become_ a Sicarius.

_Kill a Predator._

Riona watched her aunt give her a blank look, and lock the door. She then stood by the window and imitated a statue. Unmoving, unfeeling, and incapable of responding to you.

_If Hult'ah knew what you were..._

"Aunty V is angry with me, isn't she?" Riona snapped her head to her sister. She'd finally looked up from her knees and seemed to be part of the world of the living again. "I tried to be good. I tried to agree terms and do my duty. I did."

"I bed you did." Riona grabbed her sister's hand, and decided she was rather sick of having her sister made bedbound by that brute. "But he didn't, right?"

"He was so cruel. I tried to agree terms with him, but he was unreasonable." Rosy never looked so defeated in her life. "I even agreed to everything. In the name of duty. Then..." she whimpered and held her knees again. "He forced himself on me."

"Tell me what happened Rosy. From the beginning."

"You've agreed to be my mate?" Rose was startled by his sudden presence. She had looked down at her DHP for a moment, and then poof, he was there. _how did he do that?_

"Yes."

Raijuta was stood before the gazebo, wearing his full armour (no weapons) and mask. He had a furry silver cloak on, which tamed his look slightly. It was still damn intimidating, with all that black armour. It made him look like a dark reaper.

"Just yes?" He stalked towards her and stopped with nothing but the little table between them. "Yesterday you said you've never be mated to me."

"And as you said, I don't have a choice." Rose cleared her throat and waved her hand at the chair by her side. "Would you please join me so we can agree the terms of our betrothal."

"OOo, _please_." He snickered. "We even have _manners_ now."

She couldn't help. Her tongue was razor sharp. He was being an ass. It had to happen.

"I could have told you to sit the fuck down but it though we should make the effort to be polite to one another. Since we're going to be together _forever_."

"Don't depress me." He grumbled and lowered into the chair.

He turned it round to straddle it, and stare right at her.

She was hardly conformable with that body language and gaze, but she'd be damned if she allowed him to unnerve her. She cleared her throat again, and tucked a stray lock of brown hair behind her ear.

"I have some suggestions for our terms here. Do you have-"

"You will not interfere with my training or my hunts. You will have no authority over what I do or when I do it. You will not expect to socialise with me and my friends, you will never cross me in public."

Rose gulped.

_Control your temper, control it, control it. _

"I wouldn't presume as to infringe on your training time, or your hunts, or your friends. That is perfectly acceptable." She managed to get out without snarling, growing, swearing, or letting her temper get the better of her. all good so far. "I would however like to train."

"What?" he cocked his head to one side. "Why would you want to train with us 'murderous monsters'?"

"I never agreed with you hunting humans, but the art of combat itself is not disagreeable to me. If anything, it's the one thing I'll actually _gain_ from this arrangement." Rose crossed one leg over the other and folded her arms over her chest. "The only things I ask for, is the opportunity to train and to see my sister regularly."

"Are those the _only_ things?" She nodded. "I will not train you. I'll end up killing you."

"Fine, I'll train on my own and through observations." He folded his arms and seemed to be examining her.

"You sister will be on the ship anyway. See her whenever you want."

"And my aunt?"

"She's staying here, right?"

"Well-"

"Then no."

"But-"

"I'm sure my soft little brother will put his training in jeopardy to bring your sister back here, but I won't. You can however hitch a ride with them."

"...alright." Rose looked over her DHP and mentally ticked things off. "Then we just need to talk about conjugal visits."

"What the pauk is that?" She looked at him, about to accuse him of being an ass for the sake of it, but he genuinely didn't know what she meant. Conjugal probably wasn't a word that translated well into his language.

"I-intercourse."

"..." he then started snickering at her. "You mean sex."

"Yes."

"What about it?" He leaned back in the chair, seemingly enjoying her discomfort over this topic _very_ much.

"Well, I want us to make an agreement over how many times a week we are to...have sex." Her cheeks burned, but she'd be damned if she let him get amusement from her inexperience with this topic. He looked like someone who's had _plenty_ of 'experience' with sex.

"Why don't you Oomans just say what you want to say?"

"Fine." She flustered, thoroughly annoyed at the chuckle he released afterwards. "We need to agree to have sex at least once a week."

"No." He then outright barked at her, his mandibles clattering under his mask. Oh he was so amused.

"Look, I want to have children one day and-"

"No, that's not the point." He took deep breaths, trying to calm himself.

All Rose wanted to do was smack him upside the head. But her inner aristocrat took over, and she sat there and patiently waited for him to start again. "I will not be agreeing any minimum or maximum times I'm allowed to pauk you. after all, pauking you is the only thing I'm going to _gain_ from this _arrangement." _

She could have died. He used her words and threw them right back at her. "You're barely going to good for _that_, but I'll have you as often as I want you."

"You can't be serious?"

Temper? Welcome to the fight. "You seriously think I'm going to part my legs whenever you want me to?"

"Yes." He leaned forward on the chair, folding his arms on the back rest. "Or I won't let you see your sister."

Her eyes widened, her lips pursed together, and her heart rate increased.

"You can't be fucking _serious?_"

"Like I said. I don't get any other bonus by having you _thrust_ upon me, then to _thrust_ into you. Whenever I want." He trilled at her.

He was serious. He intended to have her whenever he wanted to. "At least once a day."

"Go fuck yourself." She stood up with suck a force the chair fell over behind her. "I will _not _be your sex slave."

"Oh, you will." He also stood up, slowly, arrogantly, and held his arms open. "By the time I've had you, _you'll _be throwing _yourself _at me. I've had great feedback from my skills in bed."

"Don't make me sick!" she backed up against the gazebo wall, only to have him stalk after her. "I will _not_ let you _touch_ me."

"But _dear_." He walked right up to her and put his hands at either side of her pretty little head. "How do you think we become mates in the first place?"

"...what?"

"Oh you naive little Ooman." He leaned forward and removed his mask; so his breath beat down on her forehead. "To become mates, we have to promise ourselves to each other _whilst_ mating. Clue's in the name." Rose felt her heart drop into her stomach. He just clattered with laugher. "You only get one choice, today, or tomorrow. You can't wait any longer. Now be a good girl and pick the day, so we can kiss and get on with it."

"No." She brought her fists up and banged them onto his chest. "Get away from me."

"No?" He smirked, seeing such addictive anger in her eyes. oh yes, they were going to have some passionate angry sex in their future. He could hardly wait. "What part of, you have already agreed and have to pick a night, did you not understand?"

"What part of I won't be your sex slave don't _you_ get?!" Dark brown eyes stared down into her flaming jade ones, amusement and arousal pouring down at her.

"Do you want to see your sister?"

"Yes, of course."

"Then you'll be mine whenever I want you. It's a simple as that." she actually hissed at him she was that angry and frustrated. "Now say you agree, and we can get on with this." He clasped his mask to his hip to free his other hand up. It smoothed over her cleavage and grasped at her neck. Not enough to hurt her, but enough to make her look up at him. if he wasn't having such a great time, he'd have realised she was pumping out scared Dai-shui. Her eyes held such anger, that's all he could focus on. the passion there. he wanted to own it, taste it, swim in it. "Agree to my terms Rose." He brought his face closer and brushed his lower left mandible with her tense jaw. He started to drown her with the scent of his arousal, hoping it would bring her into the mood. "Then we can be mated."

"I-I"

"Agree." He growled, using his grip on her neck to make her face him. "Now." he barked.

"FINE!" she screamed in his face.

He watched her pant at him with teary eyes. it had been very difficult for her to give in to him like that. "N-now let me go."

"No." He felt her tens under his grip. "Now we kiss. To make it official."

"No! Get off me!"

"I can't do that. You're mine now Rose. Remember, you can't refuse me." He leaned in, planning on pressing her lips to his inner ones, when she struck him.

First he jerked to a halt and felt cold. Then the pain pooled into his left side and burned.

Raijuta moved the arm on that side away from her, not the one holding her neck, and looked down at his side.

Rose had pulled a long dirty nail from the gazebo and tried to stab him with it. she'd cut him alright, but it was a shallow cut. Just between his front and back plating. It was shallow, but not through lack of trying however.

Shocked at her actions, and the green blood slowly dripping from his side, Rose dropped the nail and really started to panic. "Well that was very naughty. Hot." He chuckled darkly and brought his smouldering gaze back to her eyes. "But naughty." He gripped at her neck and pulled her forward and into his forced embrace. "You will learn to be submissive to me. And you'll _like_ it."

"NO!" she screamed, and punched him in his wound. He released her and stumbled back.

Ok, she wasn't just playing hard to get any more.

"You little C'jit!" he swung a hand forward, just to grab her and stop her doing that again, but he wasn't prepared.

He'd thought she was behaving like a Yautja female, in the deciding who's going to be dominate phase of the betrothal.

But no, she was going ape shit.

Before he could blink she'd picked up the chair and smashed him over the head with it.

Raijuta wasn't about to lose the fight for dominance, _or_ allow her to disrespect him like that. they'd agreed terms, she was breaking them.

He roared in her face, gripped the front of her dress and threw her out of the gazebo.

She landed with a skid, and he was soon upon her again. "Calm the pauk down!" he tried to grab her wrists, but she was in full panic mode. She kicked, bite, punched, scratched, anything she could. He was soon covered in small injuries, and needed her to stop. He back handed her face once, trying to snap her out of it.

Ooooo,

Bad timing.

Sure, Rose stopped struggling and attacking him.

However, a certain aunty of the Sicarius order jumped onto his back, fisted at his dreads and held a blade to his neck. He could also hear the sound of a wrist blade shooting out of its restraints. That would be his father.

_Oh C'jit._


	11. Chapter 11

Rose was in the bathroom getting ready for bed when there was a knock at her door.

Her sister and aunt hadn't left yet, and she couldn't only dread who that could be at this time.

She pulled the door ajar and peered into the room silently.

Vivian nearly tore the door off its hinges and glared bloody murder at who was there.

"What do you want?" Hult'ah was about to snarl at her for being so rude to him, when he noticed her attire.

"What are you wearing?"

"Clothes. You?" he looked into the sharp steely eyes in the middle of the black 'war paint' across her eyes and nose, and started to realise that there was far more to Vivian Requinas than he first thought. Especially when he clocked the plasma guns, battle staff and many many other sharp and pointy things attached to her person. She certainly looked fierce.

Hult'ah wasn't intimidated however, intrigued yes, suspicious definitely. Particularly as that battle staff was of Yautja design... "It's late."

"Yes. I told you we would talk."

"We're talking." She snapped, chaos black lips in a permanent scowl. "I dare you to say what you want." She stepped into the doorway and arrogantly put a hand on either side of the door frame.

"You and I were becoming such good friends. I understand that you are protective of-"

"You're damn fucking right there. Those girls are the most important things in my life. I would gladly die for them."

The determination, the passion, the pure loyalty and love in those dagger sharp blue depths was actually quite moving.

Or they would be, if she wasn't in the way of what he wanted.

"There will be no need for that. No one is in danger here."

"Are you sure about that?" she smirked darkly at him, those black lips reflecting her dark mood.

"...if you will not allow me to reassure you, or converse with you here, then perhaps we should take this outside." He spread his lower mandibles to mimic losing his temper. Vivian was clearly pumped up on adrenaline a rage. Fighting here would not endear him or his race (mainly his sons) to the two tentatively listening princesses. If Vivian wanted to have her pound of flesh, he would let her.

And kick her ass.

It could be fun, actually. She was certainly quick on her feet with very fast reflexes. And he was dying to find out where she got that specialised Naginata from. It was strapped to her back but ever ready for battle.

"I'm not that stupid." He blinked at her then.

"I never said you were."

"As soon as I leave my position in this doorway your youngest son will take my Riona off to have his way with her, and God knows _what_ will happen to Rose. No. Say your piece here then _pauk off_."

Ah hah. Not a daft woman.

"Fine. We need to talk about what happened today. There is an explanation."

"Try me."

He flared his mandibles, all of them and growled. This woman was infuriating.

"Fine. In our culture the women are bigger, meaner and far more intimidating. It is usually the female who dominates the relationship. However, when the male is very skilled, there is a battle for dominance."

"And that involves making the other your sex slave?" Hult'ah bristled at that, but took a deep breath and continued.

"And in this case, that is what happened. However, the behaviour expressed from Rose mimicked a female that was..._interested_. And Raijuta automatically acted accordingly. Trying to dominate her." He was trying to be as diplomatic as possible, but he could see the rage flickering in her eyes. "That is simply how it goes with our people. And without sounding insensitive, our race treats sex very differently than yours. My son was being forward. It is cultural differences that made her refusal look to be an invitation, and his forward nature to be-"

"Rape."

"I assure you what we witnessed when we arrived on the scene was Raijuta trying to restrain Rose, _not_ force himself on her."

"So not rape, just battery then?"

"_She_ attacked him _first._ Look, that's hardly the point here."

"Oh?" She put her armoured hands on her hips and looked through her lashes at him. "_Do_ tell little ol' me what the point is, since I'm incapable or discerning that for myself."

Oh, he took a deep breath. It was either that, or he threw himself at here there and then. That woman was asking for a damn beating.

_Hold yourself back. She's Ooman, she doesn't mean to disrespect you or challenge you._

He then looked at the vixen before him and thought perhaps she did.

"This was a misunderstanding."

"Again? That's becoming quite a _habit_ isn't it?"

That was it.

He was the High Arbitrator of the united clans.

No little Ooman woman spoke to _him_ like that.

All the years of curbing his temper to be more 'understanding' of Ooman nature went to hell.

This woman had pushed his pride too far.

He stormed forward.

She contemplated standing her ground, but then thought she'd fall flat on her arse if she did, so she cautiously backed up with him. Her hands hovered behind her, ready to swing the Naginata at him.

Riona and Rose watched the scene explode before them.

Vivian slid between Hult'ah and the girls. Her staff bared before her. her grip was firm but fluid, and her eyes watched his movements.

Hult'ah shrugged his cloak off to reveal he had also seen fit to 'kit up'. His Awu'asa was silver and very ornate. Beautiful symbols etched round the edges of every plate of armour. A mural of a great battle was carved into it, with a pile of mutilated Xenomorph corpses in a pile, with a lone hunter standing with pride, holding a Queen's head high above him. the defeated bodies covered the expanse of his armour, from his wrist bracers, to his boots, to his silver mask. He pulled it from his belt and fixed it over his face. It had a high tech look to it. The box over his mouth, the high cheek bones, the disk shape of the crown and the serrated edge design of the high crown had linier layered design. Each column of metal had a strip of special symbols, and one large one on the centre of the crown, just above his eyes. it was a large circle with two diagonal claw marks in the middle. His shoulder plates had high ridges, as did the sides of his leg guards and wrist bracers.

His armour was very impressive, and he looked like he could take any damage _she_ planned on dealing.

The lenses of the mask were black.

With a clink a streamline plasma gun rose from his right shoulder guard.

He flexed his fists, and three long wrist blades silently shot out from his bracers.

"If you wish to fight, then we shall."

"I want you to leave." Vivian wasn't feeling as confident as she had been only moments before. Then again, that was probably the point of this little show. Fear me Ooman, you are no match for me. "If I have to kick you out, then that's what I'll have to do." She readied herself, as did Hult'ah.

"What are you-stop!"

At that moment Henry had decided to show his face.

_Oh wonderful._

"Brother your time is lousy as always. Now fuck off."

"You are in my DAUGHTER'S room!" Henry made a point of standing between his sister and the very pissed off Arbitrator. He pointed to Riona who was sat stiff on the bed, and Rose, who was now stood in the open bathroom doorway. "This is hardly the place for this."

"She has disrespected me." Hult'ah flexed his shoulders and cracked his neck to one side. "I will have an apology." He snarled to Henry.

"I am protecting my pups." She spoke directly to the Yautja, who started growling.

"I came to explain and work things out on behalf of my son. Your sister has been nothing but unreasonable and rude."

"Then we accept the apology on behalf of your son, and you will have ours." Henry looked to his sister.

"Henry, can kiss my ass. You." She blew a sarcastic kiss at Hult'ah. "Can go fuck yourself if you think my pussy footed _brother_ has _any _power over me. I'm not scared of you big boy. You aren't the first Yautja I've tangled with."

"Aunty!" Riona bolted from the bed and grabbed her shoulders from behind. "No." She whispered desperately. "Don't."

"Get behind me sweetie." Vivian tried to shrug her off, but only blanched when said baby niece ran over to her father.

Between her and Hult'ah. "Riona!"

"I have an appointment to keep." She blurted out. "I-I made an agreement with Daijuta. And he's been kind to me. And the last thing I want is for you to fight with Hult'ah." Riona pleaded with her aunt.

"But!"

"I'm fine." Riona looked over her aunt and into the bathroom. Rose had grabbed a vase from the bathroom and looked about ready to join arms with Vivian. I'm fine, she mouthed at her sister. She then gave her her trademark smile, and turned to Hult'ah.

He'd retracted his weapons. But he still looked so very dangerous. "Please escort me to Daijuta."

"He's waiting for you in-"

"_please_ escort me to him." Riona held her pink dressing gown tightly to her body and looked up with pleading jade eyes.

"I could take you." Henry put his hand on her shoulder. She jerked away from him and shook her head.

"Hult'ah." She put one of her shaking hands onto his warm armoured hands. "Y-you're going to be my father in law. Right? Please?"

"Enough of this." Vivian took one step towards her trembling nice, for the other one to wrap her arms around her. "Rose, get off me."

"No. She wants to go. And we don't want war." Rose stayed behind her aunt, but looked up at the terrifying force that was Hult'ah. "Tell Raijuta that I'll see him tomorrow."

"See him?" Hult'ah cocked his head to one side.

"M-mated to him. Tomorrow." She gulped.

She hated Raijuta.

She hated the fact that he was going to use her for sex.

She hated the fact that it was perfectly acceptable to have a dominant and a submissive member of a relationship, and she was going to be the latter.

She hated all of this.

But she'd hate people being hunted and murdered because of her refusal even more.

If she had to suffer, then she'd have to suffer.

Riona was being brave. So would she. "But if he's anything but gentle with me I'll cut his dick off."

"Rosemary!?"

"Good girl." Vivian smirked, despite herself. "Oh, and one more thing." She stopped Hult'ah before he could take Riona's offered hand. "There is one more condition to Rose and Raijuta's betrothal in light of recent events."

"Oh?" The warrior growled a warning. He was not in the mood for another stalling tactic.

"Yes. I'm coming with you."

"What?!" Henry raised his fist and was about to interject, when Vivian pushed him to one side and stared straight up at the armoured beast before her.

"One of the threats Raijuta used was the punishment of withholding her visiting rights to her sister, and outright refused to ever bring her back here. If you think I'm letting that happen, you're quite wrong. I'm coming too."

"You can't. You can only come with us if you become mated to one of our kind, become honoured pay through being hunted, or..." Hult'ah looked off to one distance and stroked the chin of his mask. He then clattered with mirth and looked down at the dangerous woman. "In times long past, we took slaves from lesser races to serve us domestically. Cook, clean, care for pups, polish trophies. But only high ranking hunters could do this..."

"Fine. Tell Raijuta that-"

"Oh no. Raijuta is an Elite Hunter. He isn't high ranking enough. And Daijuta is a Blooded hunter, lower still. They cannot take you as a slave. An Elder or above could...an Arbitrator for example definitely could." He barked a laugh.

Oh, how karma has a way of coming back and biting you in the ass.

The expression on Vivian's face was priceless. Her lips were pursed together and her left eye twitched. Riona and Rose watched their aunt, both hoping she could overcome her pride and ask him if she could become his slave...yeah...this could be difficult...

"_You_ could take her _with_ you?" Henry piped up, getting a sarcastic smile from his sister.

"Oh, you'd love that wouldn't you? You've been trying to get rid of me for years."

"Yes." Henry chuckled, looking up at Hult'ah. "But I tried to marry you off."

"To pigs."

"To honourable gentleme-"

"Pigs." She hissed, looking instead to Riona who took her hands. Vivian then looked from her pleading jade eyes, to look into those of Rose. "...you girls...owe me big time for this."

"For what?" Hult'ah sensed all the fight had been deflated from the blonde woman, so he relaxed. In fact, this was a rather amusing turn of events. "Have you done something Vivian?"

"...uuurrrr." she took a deep breath and looked up at Hult'ah with a sulking pout. "Could I please be your slave so I can be there for my nieces?"

"You would be doing menial things. Cooking and cleaning my chambers and my trophies. And it would be forever."

"Your...servant...forever..." her will was wavering.

"Please Aunty!" Riona hugged her full on, and Vivian looked about ready to break something.

"Well? Will you or not?!"

"Well, you were quite rude to me..." She pushed Riona away from her and put her hands on her hips.

"Seriously?" she turned to look at Henry, who couldn't stop grinning. "This fucker is going to make me apologise _and _beg?"

"That's rude sister." He chuckled, and ushered Riona outside of the room to wait for Hult'ah. "You will have to apologise for that too now."

"Yeah, well I won't have to apologise for this." Smack. She whacked Henry upside the head and glared down at him. "Don't poke an angry bear, brother dearest."

"I'm still waiting."

It took every ounce of love for her nieces to force herself to look up at Hult'ah. She couldn't see his face, but she imagined he was grinning like an idiot. Whatever that looked like with mandibles, he was doing it.

"I'm sorry for being a bitch to you, despite walking in on your son beating the living hell out of my niece and the accusations rape and such little things like that." he snarled at her. "I'm so very sorry."

"No weapons or armour. You are to be a slave. You can bring clothing, personal items that are not in any way classed as a weapon, and I will inspect your luggage before we leave." Hult'ah decided to leave then, to let her seethe. Or she'd just have to apologise to him again.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Henry covering her mouth from the profanities that were erupting from her lips, and Rose hugging her tightly.

Riona stood in the hallway, clinging to the thick, pink, fluffy dressing gown. "Are you ready?"

"Yes my lord." Riona curtseyed to him. Her long mahogany hair fell forward and framed her face as she did so.

"Then shall we?" she timidly let him take her arm, and lead her to her room.

Hult'ah opened the door, and waved her in with his hand. He then turned and left to go and give his other son a damn good beating for good measure (figuratively speaking of course) and inform him that he would be mated to Rose tomorrow. And of course, to be a gentleman this time, not an arsehole.

When the door opened Daijuta found his soon to be mate stood by the window and staring up at the night sky. He cleared his throat to let her know of his presence. She turned and looked over her shoulder at him. The full moon and stars gave her form a soft glow, making her look so radiant it stopped his heart. For just a moment.

"Riona." He cleared his throat again and approached her, his shoulders and form strong. "It is time."

"Yes." Her voice was so quiet and calm. "I...first I owe you an apology."

"There is no need Riona." He stopped when he stood by her left side.

"Yes there is." She released a deep breath and looked up into his big amber eyes. Neither she nor Daijuta had thought to light a candle, so she could only see what the night light allowed her to. Now he stood next to her, by the window, she could see his cautious and tender expression. "I have delayed my acceptance of this betrothal. Despite it was the only way, I rebelled because-"

"Your father didn't inform you of it. you had no time to prepare, I know this."

"No, it's not just that." she turned to look out of the window again. The shine of the moon's reflection in her jade eyes looked her look like a magical creature, trapped in the body of a delicate maiden. "I was afraid." She turned and looked up at him again. "I feared the unknown. I feared your kind. I feared you. I feared losing my family." Daijuta nodded slowly at this, and placed a hand on her shoulder. It took great courage to admit your fears to another.

"I understand."

"That is, I did at first. I don't fear you now."

"I am glad, Riona." He kept his voice low and gentle, in line with hers.

"What I'm trying to say is I don't fear you now. Earlier, when you tried to kiss me, I-"

"You don't need to-"

"No I do." She turned to face him properly, and there was a fire of determination in her eyes. "I was going to kiss you." he cocked his head to one side. "I just didn't know..." her cheeks burned then, but she couldn't stop now. "...where to start. But!" she put her hands up, stopping him before he could respond. "Aunty Vivian asked your father and I have been told what to do now." she nodded up at him.

"Oh..." a very soft, hardly noticeable brown flush ordained his cream cheeks. "Then perhaps we should try again?" She flushed, but her expression was sure.

"You have been kind to me Daijuta. Something I don't think my sister or Aunty have thought about, is how you must feel about being 'mated' to someone so different to what you envisaged for yourself. You could have been cruel to me, like your brother is to my sister. But you have never been anything but a gentleman to me. You have sworn to be good to me, so I see no reason why I should hold back, and be anything less than the best wife I can be for you." her cheeks burned, but Riona had accepted her mission in life now.

"Riona." He couldn't hold back any longer. He grabbed her arms and puller her against his muscular front. "Nothing would make me happier."

Finally.

Riona lowered her timid hands to rest on his chest, and pushed up on her tip toes to reach him. Daijuta leaned down and tasted her cinnamon breath on his. She turned her head to one side and ghosted her lips over his lower left mandible. It was warmer than she expected; much like the rest of him. It didn't feel like skin covered bone either. There was muscle and flesh beneath the skin. nothing like a 'crab leg'. She jumped in his hands when he started purring at her. At least that's what it sounded like. A very low, metallic purring coming from his chest, beneath her hands. He slid his hands heavily down her arms and held her, one hand between her shoulder blades, one at her lower back. Riona's heart started hammering in her chest, and a foreign fire burned in her veins. It caused her body to itch for more of, well, this. This moment, right now, with him.

It was so forbidden.

She was in the arms of one of the most feared, dangerous creatures in the universe, and about to go to bed with him, before a proper wedding.

_No. This was a proper wedding. _Riona remembered how adamant he was about that. _Everything about this betrothal is different to the norm. But surely, that doesn't have to be __bad__. _

"Riona." He growled and continued to trace her mouth and chin with his lower mandibles. He then suddenly grabbed her arms and yanked her backwards, holding her at arm's length.

"I-what did I do wrong?"

"Nothing." He took a deep breath. "However, I wish to become mated to you in the privacy of my own ship. Much more of this and I'll bed you here."

"O-oh." She gulped and blinked rapidly at him a few times. "Shall we...that is...should we then..."

"To my ship?" he waited for her to return to his gaze and nod. He pushed open the window and climbed out.

"D-Daijuta!?"

"This way is quicker." He clattered at her, and started punching instructions into his wrist bracer. He then turned and reached out for her. "Come Riona. I won't let you fall."

She placed a shaking hand into his firm one, and found herself pulled out of the confines of her bedroom, onto the slanted roof tiles outside her window, and stood holding his hands. The roaring of an engine startled her into holding onto him tighter.

"I can hear a ship."

"Yes." He clattered and suddenly released her. he leapt from the side of the castle and landed on thin air with a metallic thud. Riona had screamed after him, and stared in confused horror as he seemed to levitate in the air before her.

"This is my ship." He waved his hand to one side deftly, and a door opened in the air next to him. through the doorway looked to be an 'inside' to somewhere. "Come, I will catch you Riona."

"You want me to jump?"

"Jump to me Riona." He stood there with his arms open, not too far from the edge of the roof, and put the hidden meaning to this actions and his words aside for now. She shuffled nervously to the edge of the roof and looked into his sure eyes.

She took the leap and he ran forward, catching her and pulling her against his form. "Come, let's go inside."

"Yes, p-please." It was rather unnerving to look down at your feet and see nothing holding you up from a certain death.

He calmly led her through the doorway and closed it behind her.

Ah, a floor and walls and a roof over her head. She felt safer already. The quite hum of the engine let her know that _something_ was holding her up in the air, anyway.

"This way." Daijuta walked ahead of her, clearly more comfortable in an environment designed for someone of his height. He didn't have to duck as he walked through doorways, or struggle to walk along side her as they went through corridors. The walls were covered in carved columns of writing and murals of events in Yautja history. Riona would have liked to switch into her Princess mode and enquire as to the back-story on these walls, but Daijuta didn't give her the pace to even ask the question. She had to hold her skirts and dressing gown up slightly to trot after him. "Please wait in here." He pressed a large clear disk by the door and it 'swished' open. "I shall enter the route into the auto pilot, and I'll be right back."

"Yes my lord." She curtseyed. He watched her for a moment, as if unsure of this action, before nodding and hurrying off 'somewhere'.

Riona felt like she'd gone from hot to cold.

She was in his arms kissing her future husband one moment, and then leaping into a ship and left alone in a dark room the next.

She couldn't see very much...

...except for a bed. _Ah, this is his bedroom then. Well of course it is Riona, you silly girl. _She chastised herself. _Where else would he take you to...to...claim you_.

She held herself and walked towards the illuminated bed. It was vast in size, and surrounded by a circle of large golden candles in tall silver candle stick holders. The bed itself looked like it definitely belonged to a predator of some sort. It was carved out of dark wood, with ornate carvings of a glorious battle in the headboard, horns and antlers of many different and exotic creatures framing it and even sharp looking claws embedding into the frame. The bedding consisted of thick brown fur blankets and similarly crafted pillows.

Riona took a deep breath and took herself over to it.

Every woman knew the day would come when you were to marry, and held both fear and fascination with the night where you would lay with your husband. Well, her time was neigh, and she was both afraid, and exhilarated. She looked to the open doorway, and heard no sound of her betrothed returning. So she pulled off her pink fluffy dressing gown, folded it, and put it onto a large leather hide chair by the bedside table. As she bent over to place it there, Daijuta walked into the bedroom.

If he wasn't anticipating what was to come, he was now. He watched his precious Riona's bent over form eagerly. His eyes lingered on her rounded backside, and realised he could actually see through the fabric of her nightdress. She turned to her standing position and turned to find him staring at her.

Yes, the dress was indeed see through. She had certainly accepted him as her mate. No wonder she'd clutched that dressing gown to her body so tightly. If he'd seen a _hint_ of what she was wearing underneath it...they wouldn't have made it to the ship.

"Riona." He growled.

"My Aunty gave it to me." She trembled with anticipation. "She said it would be appropriate to wear for my future husband."

"Yes." He gulped, not sure how to convey how _very_ grateful he was to her aunt for this little 'gift'. Now she was facing him he could see her every curve through the thin white night dress. It was as see through at the front as it was at the back. He could see her dusty pink nipples beneath it, and they were getting harder as he stared at her.

Enough. He couldn't hold himself back any longer.

Without another word he closed the space between them and gave in to his desperate need for her. Daijuta fisted at the sides of her nightdress and traced her lips with his mandibles. He purred deeply and felt a reaction bubble inside him every time she whimpered against him. The heat of his body against hers did very little for her self-resolve. The hands that fisted her nightdress started to rise up her body, pulling the thing material up and until he whipped it off her form and threw it behind him.

She felt so vulnerable, naked and under his complete control.

His hands smoothed up her back, pulled her shoulders to bring her closer to him, slid down her front and caressed her modest breasts. His purring became more staccato, as did his fluid movements as he struggled to keep himself in check.

Riona found some courage from this. He was as desperate as she was. Finally she allowed herself to touch more than his chest and neck. She felt at his biceps, feeling such strength flexing beneath her fingertips and blushing at the appreciating growl she got for admiring him so openly.

There was little doubt as to his strength. His body was covered with toned muscles. Toned was the word, however. He wasn't a bulky mass of muscle, but sleek and agile. He was only wide were he need to be, such as his strong shoulders, and powerful hips. His thighs also appeared to be quite thick.

_Should I?_

She whimpered as he held the back of her neck and tipped her head back, exposing his neck and breasts to the delight of his seeking mandibles. Riona felt like she'd been pulled into one of her secret romance novels, and she was about to be both worshiped, and devoured by a skilled scoundrel of a man.

"D-juta!" He parted his mandibles over one of her breasts and nipped at her perky nipple. He then latched onto her and teased her with his tongue. She didn't know what to do but go to pieces in his arms. Sure she'd fantasised what it would be like to be with a man, but this was more than she she'd ever imagined. Her body felt hot wherever he touched her, and inside she was smouldering for more.

Her hands gripped him for dear life as he dragged her over to the bed and fell backwards with her. Riona laid onto of him, and made such a startling discovery, she yelped through her lust drunk jade eyes.

At some point, Daijuta had discarded his own clothing as well. She could now feel his desire for her pressing against her thighs, and he made quick work of rolling them over. He purred deep and slow, holding himself over here with passion from his amber orbs drowning her alarm into a quiet question at the back of her mind.

However, the question had already been relayed to her lips.

"Can I?"

"Can you what?" His voice was heady with the strain of holding himself back. Seeing how much he so wanted her was invigorating to say the least. "You can do whatever you want to me Riona." His Dreads fell either side of his face and tickled her cheeks, which burned from his total permission. _Whatever_ she wanted?

_Should I?_

She gulped, and timidly averted her down his cream chest, his navel, lower.

Then she saw it.

It was the same creamy brown colour as his face and chest, and mottled with the same dark brown around the base as his arms, legs and back. The head was also darker, and the whole 'thing' looked thick and throbbing to be used.

Daijuta steadied himself on his knees and one hand. He had already managed to get her legs open and kneel between them, but as of yet he didn't think she'd noticed in her delirious ardour. With his free hand he took on of hers and brought it quickly to relieve some of his suffering.

Riona tensed and fisted the bed with her other hand, as her soon to be husband made her hold his length around the middle. He whimpered, as if such a touch had alleviated some pain from his body.

"You won't hurt me Riona." He growled darkly, helping her to stroke him a few times before fisting both his hands at either side of her head. He buried his face into her neck and dragged his mandibles from her collar bone to her chin, nipping and kissing as he went.

In a constant state of blushing and lustful bliss, Riona continued to slowly run her inexperienced fingers up and down his thick shaft.

She was actually pleasuring a man in such a way, it was scarcely recorded in her romance novels.

It felt...empowering. She could feel a direct relationship between how he trembled above her and groaned, and the pressure and pace of her hand on his member. He strangled a pained sound on his throat, and his clawed fingers looked about ready to tear the bedding to pieces. "Pauk. I can't hold back much longer."

She halted her ministrations and turned her face to look into her fiery amber eyes. she opened her mouth, and for a moment her voice failed her.

"Then don't." She felt her heart hammering against her ribs, but not with fear.

"Are you ready?" he sounded like he couldn't bare it if she said no. So she didn't.

"Please make me your wife Daijuta."

"No Riona, my love." He shifted himself between her legs and lowered his face to hers. "I will do more than that. I will make you my Mate, for life."

The heavy promise of his words dissolved the last of her doubt in this man. He meant every word. His every touch was sincere and filled with real passion. In that moment, she couldn't imagine _not_ being his wife.

_No, not his wife. His Mate. _

"I think I will be very happy as your Mate." She held either side of his face and traced her fingers down his cheeks and ghosted the sides of his mandibles.

"That will be my life's work, Riona." He slipped one hand under her backside and met no resistance as he angled her hips to his.

"And you will be mine." She looked so deeply into his eyes. "I swear it."

"Those are our vows." He whispered, pushing forward and feeling her body burn and tremble around him. Riona hissed in pain and held onto the sides of his shoulders tightly. Yes she had become very wet with their foreplay, and the power of their promises to each other, but she was still a virgin. Well, not anymore. "I-I'm trying not to hurt you." he Ground through his teeth to one side, moving as slow as he dared, not stopping until he filled her to the hilt.

Her flesh felt like a molten fire around his cock, burning like his desire for her.

"I-I know. Please don't stop." She tried hard to relax. Aunty told her it was easier if she didn't resist it, but it was hard when her core felt like it was tearing. It wasn't, but it felt like it.

"Pauk." He hissed and swiped a pillow from headboard. He pushed it unceremoniously under her rump, forcing her back to curve into the mattress and her pelvis become better aligned with his. He lifted her legs to wrap around his back and braced himself once more. "Ready?"

"Yes." She whimpered. He moved again, a few inches out, then back again. Their rhythm eventually picked up, as did their feverish hands and panting.

"I swear my body, soul and life to you." Riona held onto the headboard desperately and whimpered. It still hurt, but there were threads of pleasure winding themselves along with the pain. "Do you accept Riona?" How he managed to speak as they ground into the bed like this, she would never know. Her poor little mind was nearly reduced to a whimpering puddle of goo. How she managed to speak, she'd never know.

"I do."

"Swear yourself to me Riona." He purred into her neck, seemingly enjoying the feeling of her ramped pulse against his mandibles.  
"I-I swear my body-ah." She moaned, banding her fist against the headboard with the frustration of her pleasure racked body. She didn't know then, but her reactions to his love making aroused him further, like she was triggering a primal side of his mind. The side that took great pleasure in seeing how he was fucking her into submission. "-Oh, a, and my soul." She whimpered, arching against him for more of his burning skin to touch hers, like she'd freeze without him. "And my-FUCK!" Daijuta brought his hips forward with a little more force than he should have, but was rewarded with her begging for him to do it again. So he did.

"You need to finish it Riona."

"my-my life. Everything. I-I give you everything." She held onto the headboard and managed to push her hips back against him, deepening their pleasure with a spark of delight.

"I accept you Riona." He felt the end was near. "With the joining of our bodies, we will join our lives forever." They rutted together with wanton desire, their sweat mixing and his dreads intertwining with her brown locks.

"Daijuta!" she screamed, feeling her world melt and spark at the same time. Riona was so startled by it she threw her arms around her lover's neck, to anchor her to reality. It rippled through her body, and rippled harder with every ragged thrust. Whilst trembling on the waves of her own pleasure, she heard Daijuta release a string of indistinguishable clicking into her ear. He must have spoken so roughly, so quickly, the translator on his bracer couldn't recognise it. It felt like he'd said something intimate and precious to her, like it was just for her ears, whether she could understand it or not. It was then she noticed he'd stopped thrusting her against the bed, and returned her desperate embrace.

"Riona." He panted. "We are mated for life." He rolled them suddenly, still joined, but with Riona straddling him. He ran his fingers through her hair and cupped the side of her face. "Are you glad?"

Imagine the danger of that question. Imagine the fear of hearing her say no.

"I am glad Daijuta." Riona knew they didn't love each other. But she felt it was very much something she could look forward to with her hus-mate.

"Good." He closed his eyes and clicked his mandibles. "I am so glad you think so. Did I hurt you too much?"

"I will be fine, I am sure." She was also sure she'd be really _sore_ in the morning, from the aching she felt _now_. in fact, desperate to alleviate that aching she put her hands on her new mate's chest and pushed herself off him.

His cock fell out with a wet pop, and Daijuta snapped his eyes up to look at her.

"Wait-"

"Oh!" Feeling the oddest feeling in the world, Riona threw both her hands down between her legs. She then stared down into the eyes of her mate with horror. "Wha-but-it's coming out!"

He blinked at her, and suddenly wasn't all that concerned about getting their juices on his bedding. He was far too amused for that. he barked with laugher and held his sides with mirth.

"Of course. What did you think? That my cum would stay inside you?"

"But-but!" She squeaked. She actually squeaked. "But I've never read about this happening after sex!"

"No." He chuckled, and shuffled himself up the bed, to help her get off him and over to the bathroom. "I imagine if they wrote _this_ in your romance novels, the magic would be lost. No?"

"But..." her face burned. She'd never been so embraced. She was actually going to have to hobble to the bathroom to 'clean up'. "Does this _always_ happen?"

"Yes." He chuckled, getting off the bed and guiding her traumatised mate off the bed. "However, I probably produce 'more' than a human male, so my cum won't stay inside you for long."

"I...I could die." He escorted her to the bathroom and waited outside.

"Please don't. We have a lot more hot, messy sex to have in our mated lives." Daijuta chuckled. He could almost hear the mortified thoughts in her head from out here. "Really, you'd think that sex was a bad evil thing the way you humans _never_ talk about it."

"I am sure many humans _do_ talk _extensively _about sex." Riona shouted through the door. "However, a princess of the realm does not!"

"Well, I better tell you a few things before I allow you to join 'polite Yautja conversation' then. I wouldn't want you to-"

"To what?" Riona opened the door and swung her head out. "To what, my dear mate?" she might have realised how sexy she was being, referring to him in such a manner, had she not been so flustered.

"I simply wish for you to be prepared." He clicked his left mandibles together, smirking down at her.

"Oh I bet." She still only exposed her head and shoulders out of the door way. "Now I'm quite ready for bed."

"Indeed."

"Could you please pass me my-Daijuta!" She bristled and tried to cower behind the wall as he walked through the doorway. "Daijuta, it isn't proper to-"

"I have just touched every inch of your body with my hands, mandibles, and cock." She burned red with that one. "I hardly think there is any reason I can't sleep next to you _as you are_. Besides, you will over heat if you wear clothing to bed."

"I will _not_." She blinked up at him, and became very frustrated at the way he simply chuckled and refused her even the smallest barrier as they slept.

"With _my _arms around you." he scooped an arm around her middle and pulled the princess against his front. "You'll overheat with clothing on."

Riona opened her mouth to argue. But she couldn't think of a way to stand her ground. Particularly when the ground was taken from her, as he swept her up into his arms. "I will not dictate what you wear during the day, but at night I will have you as nature intended." He lowered her back into the bed, spooned behind her and pulled the fury blanket over them both. "Are we agreed?"

"I suppose we are." She pouted. Princesses were not used to _not_ getting their own way.

"I am glad Riona." His arm was strong and warm, and seemed to fit perfectly into the dip of her waist. "I am very glad to have you this way." He whispered into her hair, and settled down for the night. "Candles off."

Every candle became extinguished and the darkness enveloped them in more ways than one.

Despite how worried she'd been, it actually wasn't hard for her to fall asleep in this man's arms. In fact, she was warm, comfortable, safe and cherished. What else did you need to be content enough to sleep?


End file.
